Turnabout Connections
by WolfieRed23
Summary: Collab with EmeraldWings1992. They met once before, in a dream. This time, the Guardian has crossed the breach into the Seer's universe. But what happens when one is accused of murder? It's all up to the other to save her before the universes can fall into chaos.
1. Chapter 1:The Unexpected Reunion

**A/N-**

 **EmeraldWings1992:** Okay, guys, you asked for it, and WolfieRed23 and I delivered! Here is, basically, a sequel to _The Light Connecting Our Hearts_! My OC, Aurora, and Wolfie's OC, Shaylee, are reunited in this story. As for timelines, this happens after my latest story, _Turnabout Hearts II._ (This is also right after _The Phantom Turnabout_ in my universe for my regular readers, so Phoenix and Maya are dating, and Apollo and Trucy know about Thalassa and each other) Anything to add, Wolfie?

 **WolfieRed23** : Hey everyone, whether you're from my series or Emerald's, I'm glad to be writing this again! This story, for me, happens after the very end of the last chapter of my story _The Light That Shines_ , the epilogue where Shaylee goes to the Destiny Islands as a reminder, and it is inbetween my future stories for my series, my future Coded story and my future DDD story so remember, for my OC and the characters I'm in charge of, to be explained later, this is right before the MoM exam begins in DDD. I hope you all enjoy this story, it was really fun to plan out with Emerald, and enjoy the continued journey of Aurora and Shaylee, one in her current timeline and the other in her future. Also, because this takes place in a future time of my stories, there will be a minor few spoilers concerning Shaylee but she doesn't fully understand them herself so no huge spoilers ahead! Anything else, Emerald?

 **EmeraldWings1992** : Other than some shameless self advertising (don't forget to vote in my last chapter of _THII_ ), I think that's it! Without further ado, ONWARDS!

…

* * *

Chapter One: The Unexpected Reunion

Shaylee stared at the stars and planets flying by as she piloted the Gummi Ship that was taking her, Sora and Riku to the Mysterious Tower for the boys' Mark of Mastery Exam.

"I still don't get why you're flying. _I've_ flown a Gummi Ship more than you have." Sora grumbled in one of the seats behind Shaylee.

"Just because I prefer to sit in the back and think to myself doesn't mean I can't fly the ship. Besides, most of the time I've been training you." Shaylee answered, her voice that of a patient mother.

"Still." Sora stated as he stuck his tongue out at the Guardian of Destiny.

"Very mature, Sora." Riku stated sarcastically, causing all three to laugh.

Since the last time they had all journeyed together, even if it was a brief journey where all three were _actually_ together, they had changed in various degrees.

Shaylee had her dark brown, almost black hair in two braids that each rested on her shoulders, resting easily on them, and her icy blue eyes seemed to have a glow to them whenever Sora or Riku met them. She wore dark black jeans, a black tank top, a dark purple flannel shirt that was undone over the tank top, three ribbons tied around her left forearm, dark black leather boots, a necklace that had a purple glass star at the end that was known as a Wayfinder, a silver Mark of Mastery clipped to her pants near her left hip, a silver bracelet on her left wrist, a black leather fingerless glove that had white and silver armor on the top, along with the button to activate her armor, a necklace with a stylized heart shaped pendent and a black pouch that held a book on her right hip. The major things that changed, however, were what was hidden under her glove and the fact that her pendent now moved.

Sora looked very much the same as he had the previous year, the only difference being he was now a little taller, a little tanner and his hair was a bit spikier.

Riku, on the other hand, had cut his hair short so now he could see without his hair in his eyes and looked a little bit more mature but other than that was the same.

"So, what is this Mark of Mastery, anyway?" Riku asked suddenly.

"I'm not sure how to explain it. I've watched one and gone through one myself and they were both different from each other, and it wasn't just because the Masters instructing the exam were two different people. It all depends on the situation when the exam is done." Shaylee answered.

"So ours will be completely different from yours?" Sora asked. "And don't dodge the question, we already know you know what we're doing."

"That may be but I still can't tell you. Yours will be different from mine though." Shaylee answered with a smile.

"So it could be tougher then." Riku nodded thoughtfully.

Suddenly, the Gummi Ship rocked roughly.

"What the-?!" Shaylee cried as she gripped the controls tightly.

"Shay! What's happening?!" Sora cried as he jumped out of his seat.

"I don't know!" Shaylee cried, her voice starting to sound panicked.

"Sora, sit down!" Shaylee and Riku cried in unison as the rocking increased when a bright light flashed, bright enough that even Shaylee had to squint her eyes against it.

The light faded but the rocking didn't stop.

Sora suddenly pressed a button and the side door opened. The rocking continued and Sora fell towards it.

"Sora!" Riku cried, reaching for his brunette friend and grabbing his hand only for both of them to fall out.

"Sora! Riku!" Shaylee shouted in pure panic. Quickly, she turned the Gummi Ship and breathed a sigh of relief to see that they were falling towards a world. It'll be a rough landing but that's better than dying while falling through the Lanes Between.

As fast as she could, Shaylee flew the Gummi Ship towards the unidentified world so she could find her metaphorical sons.

* * *

The Gummi Ship was safely landed, and hidden of course, in a place called Gourdy Park. As soon as she landed, Shaylee exited the ship so she could search for Sora and Riku's presence on the world.

Finding them, she breathed a sigh of relief and allowed her light to take her to them.

At the last possible second, however, she felt something touch her light and she gasped at the coldness of whatever it was.

She vanished a second later.

There was nothing she could have done.

* * *

Apollo Justice was having a good day so far, at least as far as days went with him and the Wright Anything Agency. He had a case for him and Athena to work on, with a client who can ACTUALLY pay them!, he was no longer the designated assistant to Trucy's shows, that was now Athena and Aurora's headache, his mother was working on helping Trucy find Valant, meaning no more Troupe business for the oldest Gramarye sibling ever again!, and Aurora had passed the bar exam only a week ago, meaning the office had the chance to make some more money!

Apollo began to hum to himself as he walked through People Park. Nothing could ruin his mood!

Suddenly, two bodies, teenage bodies at that, fell directly onto the red clad attorney.

 _I stand corrected…_

Apparently, Apollo Justice has a problem of speaking a damn second too soon!

Apollo groaned, as did the boys, as they were obviously boys, on top of him.

"Sorry! We didn't mean to fall on you!" One of the boys said. Apollo could _hear_ the sheepish smile in his voice as the two boys got off of him and the red clad attorney grunted as the weight of them left his back. "Here, let me help you up!" Apollo looked up to see a kid, maybe sixteen at the most, with spiky brown hair and ocean blue eyes smiling down at him as he offered the attorney a hand.

"Thanks." Apollo said as he took the boy's hand and stood up. Just then he caught sight of the second boy, who appeared older than the first, with short silver hair and aqua colored eyes.

This boy looked familiar...but where had Apollo seen him before?

"No problem!" The brunette grinned so brightly, Apollo thought he could rival the sun god the attorney was named after. "I'm Sora and this is my best friend-"

"Wait, Riku? Riku Hikaru, is that you?" Apollo asked as it suddenly clicked where he had seen the silver haired boy before.

"Uh, yeah." Riku answered hesitantly, looking confused.

"Wow! I wasn't expecting you to show up here _now_ of all times, or like that even!" Apollo chuckled. "Aurora will be so happy to see you."

"Aurora?" Sora questioned.

"Yeah, she's been counting on a visit for a while now. Oh, I've never met you, sorry. I'm Apollo Justice, attorney-at-law. I work with Aurora and her cousin at the Wright Anything Agency." Apollo smiled at the brunette. "Come on, I'll show you guys the way from here."

The attorney led the way, unaware of the boys whispering behind his back.

"So, how long can you guys stay?" Apollo asked as the boys caught up to him.

"Not too long. Our friend, Shaylee, will be worried about us." Riku answered.

"Shaylee, huh? I don't think Aurora ever mentioned her. She a new friend of yours?" Apollo asked.

"She's-" Sora started.

"We just met her when we were traveling around a little while ago." Riku cut him off abruptly. Apollo's bracelet tightened and his eyes went straight to the silver haired boy walking right beside him.

Riku's right hand fingers twitched the slightest bit and Apollo began to focus in on the nervous tick-

"Whoa!" Sora suddenly cried out.

Both Riku and Apollo stopped and turned back only to see the brunette had tripped over…

"Shaylee!" Riku cried as he ran towards the unconscious dark haired girl that laid on the ground. Sora sat up and instantly started shaking Shaylee like Riku was, only much rougher.

"Come on, Shay! This isn't funny, wake up!" Sora said, worriedly.

"Sora, don't shake her so hard! Look, her hand isn't bleeding, there's no cuts on her arms, she's not hurt." Riku assured.

 _Why are they talking about that girl being hurt as if it was normal?_ Apollo wondered.

"Still! She's unconscious and that's never a good sign with Shay!" Sora argued, his voice becoming more panicked.

"Panicking isn't going to help. Calm down, I doubt she reacts like this when you're hurt." Riku said firmly.

"Still...alright." Sora nodded resolutely. "Riku, look at this, what do you think it is?" Sora pointed to something on Shaylee's arm.

"I'm not sure. But we need to get her someplace safe." Riku said.

"Let's head back to the agency, I'm sure there's a first aid kit there." Apollo spoke up. He didn't know this girl, or her connection to Riku. _I hope I'm making the right choice here._

"Thanks!" Sora grinned as he helped Riku pick Shaylee up bridal style. Just as Riku stood, Shaylee groaned.

"What...happened?" She asked, her voice rough.

"Sora tripped over you. Are you okay?" Riku ignored Sora's indignant cry of 'why'd you say it like that?!'

"I...think so. Ugh...I feel like I just got hit by Monstro's tail." Shaylee groaned, her hand coming up to touch her forehead.

"Easy, Shay. You might have a concussion." Sora said.

"I'll be fine, just get me somewhere alone, okay?" Shaylee requested.

 _Why?_

"Right." Riku and Sora nodded in unison before they began to follow Apollo again.

The red clad attorney led the way, still being very confused.

* * *

They stopped at a public restroom and Shaylee came out looking much better but she gave no explanation as to how. Sora and Riku whispered stuff to her before they walked up to Apollo. Shaylee politely thanked him for waiting before they were on their way to the agency.

Apollo still understood nothing of what was going on, and while the Shaylee girl was a bit suspicious, _What is that on her hand?_ , he still led all three of them back to the agency where he hoped, _key word being hope_ , he could get some answers on what was going on and why the heck Riku was lying to him.

* * *

Just as they reached the door to the agency, they could hear arguing inside. The most heard voice was that of Apollo's sister, Trucy.

" _Come on! Please, Aurora? I need an assistant for this gig!"_

" _I can't, Trucy. I really need to start looking for clients now that I'm a full fledged attorney. Why can't Nick do it?"_

" _ **OBJECTION**_ _!"_ This voice belonged to Apollo's boss, Phoenix Wright. " _I had to be her assistant for seven years before the rest of you came along. I've done my time!"_

Apollo opened the door. Aurora was sitting at her desk, with Trucy standing over her, holding onto Aurora's headphones. Phoenix's office door was closed, meaning his voice had been loud enough to carry clearly through two doors - _And I thought I had a loud voice,_ Apollo thought, mildly impressed - and Athena was making a beeline to the bathroom. Trucy spotted her.

"What about you, Ath-"

"Gottacleanthetoilet,sorry!" the ginger said all in one breath before making her escape.

Sora looked as if he found the scene very entertaining, Apollo was now nursing a headache as Trucy turned her sights on him- _So much for not being her assistant, sigh-_ , Shaylee, who now walked by herself, was slowly looking shocked as her eyes darted around the office and Riku simply looked confused.

Then Aurora's head snapped up, and she spotted Riku. Next thing anyone knew, Aurora _launched_ herself out of her chair, clean _over_ her desk and laptop, and tackled him. "Riku!" she said in delight, trapping him in a bone crushing hug. "I can't believe it! Finally! It's been so long. A whole year." She pulled back and looked at him. "You look so good! I love the haircut! It's nice to finally be able to see your eyes without having to push your bangs out of the way!" Again with the crushing hug as she snuggled into him, giggling from happiness.

The other people in the room didn't even need Athena's ability to hear happiness in Aurora's voice.

Phoenix opened the office door and looked out to see what was going on in his agency. "Um…"

"Hey Riku, wanna introduce Shay and I to your new girlfriend?" Sora asked in a teasing voice as Riku turned bright red. Meanwhile, Aurora kept up her babbling about how happy she was.

Then, she stretched up on her tippy-toes, aiming for a kiss.

Aurora failed to notice how uncomfortable Riku looked.

"Aurora!" A girl's voice cried. Aurora's eyes snapped open and her head shot to the side as her eyes finally rested on Shaylee, her eyes slowly becoming the size of saucers.

"Shaylee…? Is that you?" Aurora asked, shocked.

"Yes and before you do anything else, that's the Riku _from my universe_." Shaylee stressed the last few words.

Aurora's eyes, if it was even possible, grew even bigger as her mouth fell open, her jaw almost hitting the floor as her eyes went from the brunette girl to the silver haired boy in her arms.

The entire Wright Anything Agency stared at the group in confusion, even Athena came out of the bathroom to see what was going on.

Moving even faster than before, Aurora snatched her arms away from Riku, sending him off balance. Shock turned to horror on her face, than embarrassment.

"I… uh… um…" she stammered for a few minutes, before darting back to her desk, sitting, and basically hiding behind her laptop, her face hidden in her arms.

"Uh…. 'your universe'?" Phoenix asked, looking at Shaylee, then at Riku and Sora, remembering Aurora's stories about them.

"I guess I should explain." Shaylee said with a sheepish smile as everyone, but Aurora that is, turned to look at her. "Everyone might want to sit down for this, it's...kinda a long story."

Once everyone was situated, Shaylee opened the pouch on her right hip and took out a dark purple leather bound book that had a white stylized heart on the cover. She began to flip through the pages until she landed on a specific one.

"First, my name is Shaylee James. And those boys with me _are_ Riku Hikaru and Sora Utada, they just aren't the exact ones you know." She started. "We're from another universe where all of this, and all of you, are, to be honest, not the same. There are different versions of you but they aren't the same as the you I am looking at. Our universes, however, are similar enough that important people, such as Sora and Riku, exist similarly in both universes. If I'm correct, the Sora and Riku in front of you have experienced almost everything the Sora and Riku you have met have. The difference is that they have not met the versions of you in our universe and your versions have not met the version of me in this universe."

That seemed to make sense to everyone, at least Shaylee hoped it did.

"In our universe, I am known as the Guardian of Destiny. It's my job to make sure certain things happen a certain way. And this book has all the information I need in order to do that job. This book informed me a long time ago that there are other universes out there besides my own. I have read into these universes more and discovered that they are connected through breaches that can sometimes appear. I believe due to the fact that our universes have reached the same point in time for the very first time and because my heart is connected to Aurora's heart that a breach that opened near our Gummi Ship took the three of us here." Shaylee explained. "However, the problem is gonna be trying to find a way back. I don't know when the breach could open again."

"Wait, so you're saying there are other universes besides ours and yours?" Sora asked eagerly.

"Yes." Shaylee nodded in confirmation.

"That...is...so cool!" Sora cried.

"Yeah!" Athena cheered in agreement. "What's the other me like? Have you met her yet?"

"I think there are more important things we need to talk about first." Phoenix cut off the two excited voices before they could escalate and not be stopped. "Such as this connection Shaylee mentioned to my cousin."

"I think it's up to Aurora if you are to know that Mr. Wright." Shaylee stated as she met the blue clad attorney's eyes. In that moment, Phoenix could actually believe she was an adult rather than a sixteen year old kid, like she appeared to be.

Finally, Phoenix turned to his cousin. "Aurora?" he asked.

"I am never showing my face again," the still mortified seventeen year old mumbled from inside her arms. Phoenix just sighed at that, thankful Trucy hasn't gone through that stage yet. He ran a hand over his hair with a sigh, before looking back at Shaylee.

"Well, do you three have a place to stay until you figure this out?" he asked her.

"No. And from what Aurora told me before, Riku is a somewhat known face here due to...unique circumstances. I doubt it would be wise for us to stay at the nearby hotel, if my assumptions of what happened the last time your Riku was here are correct." Shaylee stated.

"Yeah, Riku stayed at the Gatewater for about three or four months. Half of that time was paid by the police, so they'll remember him. Well, I guess the only option is at our place…" Phoenix offered.

 _He was here that long when his Sora was still asleep and the risk of Roxas, Xion and the Organization was going on? Oh Riku...you sap._ Shaylee thought with a small chuckle.

"What!?" Aurora squeaked at Phoenix's suggestion, her head finally snapping up, her face still as red as Apollo's outfit.

"Aurora, if it's uncomfortable for you, I'm sure we can somehow find another hotel to stay at." Riku spoke up as he looked at his alternate self's girlfriend. "I understand why you reacted the way you did, I'm not gonna judge you about that. And I'd like to be your friend."

Aurora looked at Riku and smiled slightly, the color fading a bit from her cheeks.

"Me too!" Sora grinned before he nudged Riku's arm. "Riku, are you trying to steal your alternate self's girlfriend?"

Riku's cheeks tinted pink as he glared at his best friend.

"Shut up, Sora, you know that's not true." Riku argued. Before another word could be said, Shaylee spoke up.

"If we aren't misplacing your or being a pain, Mr. Wright, then I would like to accept your offer of us staying with you until we find our way home. Thank you." Shaylee smiled, "We are in your debt."

Phoenix waved it away with a smile. "Don't mention it. Any friends of Aurora's are welcome. Besides, Sora and Riku's alternate selves helped Aurora out a lot when she was in trouble, so don't worry about any debt."

"You can share mine and Aurora's room!" Trucy said brightly, bouncing over to Shaylee.

"And the boys can take the livingroom," Phoenix added.

"Thank you." Shaylee nodded again before she stood up and walked over to Aurora, putting her book back in its pouch. "Now, you missy, have some explaining to do. What's been happening since I last spoke to you?"

Aurora grinned at that, before glancing around at the now crowded agency. "Let's go for a walk," she said grabbing her travel mug of coffee, standing, and letting Shaylee get a clear look at her for the first time.

Aurora had grown an inch or two since they last saw each other, and her face had slimmed down slightly as she grew from teenager to young woman. Her dirty blonde hair was pulled up into a bun that was spiky in it's own right, with a few stands framing her face. She wore a teal business blazer, the sleeves folded up and stopping just above her elbows, with a white shirt underneath and a matching, teal business skirt. Underneath the skirt was a pair of black leggings, and black, ankle high boots. On her left wrist was a black wristband with two metal, silver bands, and on her right wrist was a pink ribbon. Finally, on her right middle finger was her class ring from Themis Legal Academy. There was a gold, sunflower pin on her right lapel, and around her neck was a black choker with a silver, star-shaped locket.

"You've certainly changed a lot." Shaylee noted with a smile as they walked out the front door of the building the agency was in.

Aurora smiled, before looking over at her. "And you… haven't changed at all," she said quizzically.

"You'd be surprised, for me it's been...almost twelve years since we had that dream." Shaylee stated, waiting to see the reaction she was going to get.

She was not disappointed.

Aurora, who was just taking a sip from her travel mug, half choked, half spit the coffee out.

"What!? _Twelve years!?_ " she spluttered.

Shaylee actually _laughed_ at the poor girl's misery.

"Yep! So no teasing me about the fact that you're physically older, missy. I'm supposed to be twenty eight." Shaylee grinned. "And for the record, your reaction was just as funny as the one Sora had when I told him how old I was the first time."

"Uh… wow. I… can imagine, with Sora…" Aurora grinned at the thought, before shaking her head. "It's only been about a year and a half for me since that dream," she added. She shook her head. "So, what did you want to know?"

"Just everything that's happened. Last time I saw you, you were being held captive by the Organization, which Roxas was still a member of, and I had to tell you you could trust him." Shaylee pointed out. "Besides, your story will be shorter than mine so you're up first this time, blondie."

Aurora giggled at that. "Alright, let's see here… Roxas was the one who got me out of there. When he left, he took me with him, and we went to Twilight Town. DiZ somehow got a hold of him though, and I winded up stranded there for a week."

Aurora noticed at the mention of DiZ that Shaylee's features darkened considerably before they lightened up again. She shared her sentiments about the man.

"I found Roxas again, in digital Twilight Town, but…" Aurora's face fell. "That was right before he re-combined with Sora. I haven't really seen him since."

"He's seen you though, and I bet he still thinks of you as a friend. Besides, there are times, if you look closely enough, that Roxas comes out of Sora, kinda to the forefront of Sora if that makes sense, and you just _know_ he's there. Same with Namine and Kairi." Shaylee assured, her smile slightly sad as she thought of everyone else in Sora. Aurora smiled at that.

"I know. I can sense him in Sora. I haven't seen him come to the forefront yet, but I also haven't seen my Sora in about a year," she explained. "Right after Sora, Donald, and Goofy left Twilight Town, and the King told me to stay there for my own safety," she frowned at that, "I was attacked. By the same man who ripped the darkness out of me. I would have lost, but… Riku saved me. He just _didn't let me know_ it was him at the time. And he sent me to Hollow Bastion."

"It's actually called Radiant Garden now. That was its original name, actually." Shaylee corrected gently.

"Really?" Aurora smiled. "That's a much better name for it. Well, there, I joined the Restoration Committee. I was there for a while, and Leon and Merlin trained me in fighting and magic… until it was nearly overrun by the Heartless," Aurora's voice grew more subdued, sadness entering her eyes. She looked down, remembering what happened there.

"The Battle of a Thousand Heartless...so you were there too. Don't worry, Radiant Garden's okay and so is everyone else. They all survived and, thanks to Sora, Donald, Goofy, Mickey and me, in my universe at least, the Heartless didn't win." Shaylee explained.

"I know. It was the same in my universe. I… wasn't there for the actual battle itself. But… well, that's where I met Edym again." Aurora took a deep breath. Despite how long it had been since then, it still hurt. It just… felt so _wrong._

"You don't have to say anything...I know what happened." Shaylee said quietly as she took Aurora's hand in her own, just as she did in their shared dream all that time ago. "I'm sorry, I know what it's like to lose your family. And believe me, that battle was tough for me too, in a different sense then yours."

Aurora looked up at her with a small nod, before taking a deep breath. "The Organization was threatening me to control him. He… basically tried forcing Sora's hand, then _asked_ him to… Sora didn't tell me until much later…" Aurora shook her head. "Then Goofy pushed me out of the way of a falling boulder, and took the hit. It… almost looked like he died. He didn't! But… I didn't know that for a while afterwards. The guy with the rapier kidnapped me again before Goofy woke up."

"I see...I remember how mad Mickey was when that happened...how mad I was when I remembered the last huge battle I was involved in that had something like that…" Shaylee whispered. Aurora gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't blame yourself, promise me you don't blame yourself."

"I don't," Aurora said with a smile at her. "But he did get the biggest hug from me when I saw him again, right before we all went and kicked Xemnas's butt," she added with a grin.

"Bet Roxas enjoyed that part." Shaylee chuckled, remembering the anger the blonde Nobody- _he was never a true Nobody though-_ had towards the 'Superior of the In-Between'.

"Seemed like it," Aurora said, then sighed. "I got to see Riku's home. We… talked," she blushed, causing Shaylee to smirk at the Seer. Aurora tried to ignore it. "Then the King brought me home, and I graduated from Themis within a year. Heck, I just passed the bar last week. I'm a fully fledged Defense Attorney now!" she said proudly, brushing her fingers over the badge.

"That's great!" Shaylee grinned, "I'm happy for you."

"Thanks," Aurora said with a smile. "So, what about you?"

"Well, you may want to save that coffee, we're gonna be walking for a while." Shaylee chuckled. "For ten years after we last met, I trained under Master Yen Sid, who's now my adopted father I guess you could call him. I even passed the Mark of Mastery so I'm an official Keyblade Master now. After ten years, I met Sora, Donald and Goofy and we went on our first journey to save the worlds, along with Riku and Kairi. That was actually the time when Riku fell into darkness and at two points I tried to snap some sense into him. All I got was a bunch of cuts and bleeding, a reminder of the fact that my friends are trapped in darkness and a scolding by the first Guardian of Destiny herself!"

"Wow…" Aurora muttered. "That couldn't have been fun…"

"Not really. Then it just so happened that I had to fight part of Terra's heart, I even had to watch him struggle against Ansem the Heartless along with Riku before that final battle. Then the worlds started to return and I kinda left Sora, Donald and Goofy by falling into the space and ended up getting this book back." Shaylee gestured to her pouch. "I actually went to Twilight Town to kinda, well, spy on Roxas until the boys reached their next stop."

Aurora giggled at the thought of spying on the blond. "Was he really a zombie in the beginning?"

"Yep. Took him an entire week to be let out. I disguised myself as a Twilight Town flower girl, though Axel knew me since I met his Somebody ten years earlier. Actually, his reaction was just below you and Sora's when he figured it out. Anyways, I went to the clock tower with Roxas and Axel every day for ice cream. They even spoke freely about the Organization with me, even if it took several days for Roxas to recognize me. I'm telling you, the kid was worse than Ven was when he first went to the Land of Departure, and I only know that from the game and the fact that Terra and Aqua told me stories about him!" Shaylee said.

Aurora had scowled at the mention of Axel. "Wow… It's hard to imagine, to be honest. When I met Roxas, he was… well, like any other kid. Sheltered, but his mental capacity all seemed to be there…"

"Yeah, it took a lot for him to get to that point, but that doesn't mean I love him any less. It just made me prouder of him." Shaylee smiled, "Anyway, eventually I had to go help Sora, Donald, Goofy and Riku at Castle Oblivion, since the Organization was looking for Ven there and wanted Sora's power at the same time. I disguised myself and helped them out. Anyway, we went through that whole debacle with Sora's memories and Sora, Donald and Goofy fell asleep while Riku, Mickey and I headed off to help Riku with his darkness before I went back to Twilight Town."

Aurora nodded at that. "My Riku mentioned he was fighting his darkness right around the time he left Castle Oblivion, too," she said.

"I thought so." Shaylee nodded. "After that, I spent the year with Roxas. Then the debacle with DiZ happened and after all that, I joined Sora, Donald and Goofy again on their journey. I'm positive it turned out like yours and everyone went home. Then another thing came up with Mickey that I kept an eye on and now I'm taking my boys to Father's Tower for their Mark of Mastery exam."

Aurora smiled at that. "So now our two universes are running in parallel time with each other," she said, taking a sip of her coffee and making a face. It was now cold.

"Nah, remember I'm supposed to be twenty eight. Mine's moving a lot faster than yours and they just so happened to meet at this point in time." Shaylee bit her lip thoughtfully before she snapped her fingers. "I bet your Sora and Riku are on their way to their Mark of Mastery right now."

"Probably," Aurora said, touching her locket. "Which means I'll just have to wait a bit longer to see Riku. Er… my Riku," she added with a blush. She then shrugged with a smile. "Ah well."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll see him again soon." Shaylee smiled as she removed her hand from Aurora's and lightly punched her shoulder. Aurora laughed at that, until her phone went off, playing a tune from her favorite game. She quickly pulled it out and answered.

"Hello?" she asked. After a moment, she pulled out her wallet, checking how much was in it. "Alright, pizza, burgers, or Eldoon's?" She listened for another moment. "Maya's there? Alright, burgers it is. We'll be back soon. Bye." She hung up and looked at Shaylee. "That was Nick. He asked us to grab dinner," she explained, stowing her phone back in her pocket.

"Well, lead the way then. I may be older but I think you know this world better than I do." Shaylee teased. Aurora laughed at that, leading the way to the Burger Barn.

* * *

The girls returned to find Sora, Athena and Trucy chatting as if they were old friends while Riku spoke quietly with Apollo, of all people, and Phoenix and Maya spoke to each other. Maya's head snapped up when the two walked in, almost like she could _smell_ the burgers from across the apartment.

"Dinner's here!" Maya said brightly, before either Aurora or Shaylee could open their mouths.

The dinner was very loud but it was also quite comfortable, with no incidents from Aurora because of Riku.

However, nobody noticed the uneasy look Shaylee sent towards the window, or the note she held in her pocket.

* * *

That night, when everyone was asleep, Shaylee snuck out of the apartment as quietly as possible.

She ran through the dark city all by herself, heading towards a place called the Ren Sance Art Gallery.

She never saw what was coming next.

...

* * *

 **WolfieRed23:** Well, that's it for this chapter, don't you agree Emerald?

 **EmeraldWings1992:** Yep! I love the bonding moments between Shay and Aurora, heh.

 **WolfieRed23:** Really? Cause I thought the WAA cast intro was the best scene.

 **EmeraldWings1992:** Well, that too. But it should be common knowledge on here that I love the WAA shenanigans.

 **WolfieRed23:** True, very true. Well, readers, let us know what your favorite part was! I have to say, it was fun writing this all out! And be sure to check out both my universe and Emerald's universe if you're new to either one. Or you'll be a tiny bit confused.

 **EmeraldWings1992:** A tiny bit? Anyways, this is posted on both our pages. That's why there's duplicates. Well, until next time, guys!

 **WolfieRed23:** See you later!


	2. Chapter 2:Investigation Day One

**EmeraldWings1992:** Hey guys! Here we are again!

 **WolfieRed23:** On to chapter 2! I think we've kept them waiting long enough, don't you Emerald?

 **Emerald:** (I'm shortening my name for this) Definitely. Before we start though, we should respond to a guest review from Gamergirl!

 **Wolfie:** Let me just say, I love reading your reviews, they're always so fun!

 **Emerald:** As do I!

Review Reply to Gamergirl: **(E)** We were hoping too! **(W)** You have no idea how much time we put into trying to figure a way out to do this. **(E)** Especially since we didn't want Aurora's and Shaylee's relationship to become one sided with Shay always saving Aurora. That was the hard part, since Shaylee is much more powerful than Aurora right now… **(W)** Heh, sorry about that...but it's not like she's OP! And Aurora's still got plenty of development to go! **(E)** Exactly. She didn't start out since BBS and get trained by a Master. That's actually how we came to the idea of Aurora saving Shaylee in a _different_ way. **(W)** Shush! They've probably figured it out by now, but _try_ to keep them in suspense ;) **(E)** Whoops. Anyways! Thanks for reading, Gamergirl! We hope you enjoy this chapter too! **(W)** And I hope we can keep you on your toes! Combining two universes is a tough job, after all.

 **Emerald:** Anything else to say, Wolfie?

 **Wolfie:** Nope! I think we're good! Just remember if you're ever confused on our characters, check out their previous two stories in order to understand! Now enjoy!

 **Emerald:** ONWARD!

…

* * *

Chapter Two: Investigation Day One

Aurora yawned as she stretched and rolled over, accidently falling off the bed with a thud. Because of Shaylee sleeping over and sharing their room, the Seer had given up her bed and shared with Trucy, despite the Guardian's protests.

Probably not the smartest idea, in retrospect. Turns out Shaylee was right after all. Two teenage girls couldn't fit comfortably in one twin sized bed with a body pillow in between them.

"Ow…" she groaned from where she was laying on the floor next to the bed. Her fall was loud enough to wake Trucy, who was a very heavy sleeper.

"Aurora…?" The magician whispered sleepily.

Aurora raised her hand up so that Trucy could see it over the edge of the bed. "Here…" she groaned.

"Maybe this wasn't such a smart idea." Trucy giggled. Aurora sighed with a shrug, finally pulling herself up and standing with a stretch.

"Maybe. We'll have to figure something out for tonight," she sighed softly, before looking over at her bed. "Looks like Shay's already awake," she added, heading towards the door.

"I'll meet you down there. Don't go jumping Not-Riku again, okay?" Trucy teased as she laid back down. Aurora blushed furiously, but stopped in front of the mirror to make sure her hair looked halfway decent anyways. "Are you planning to _cheat_ on Riku with Not-Riku?" Trucy gasped dramatically.

"What!?" Aurora gasped, spinning around to face her. "No! I always make sure my hair's not a rat's nest before leaving the room!" she said, before stomping out of said room, Trucy's giggles following her. Trying her best to ignore the magician, Aurora walked straight over to the coffee pot and poured herself a mug, pointedly avoiding looking over at Sora and Riku. Phoenix peeked up from where he was eating a slice of toast behind his papers.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Peachy," Aurora replied.

"Is Shay still asleep?" Sora asked as he turned around on the couch to look at the grumpy Seer. That question snapped Aurora out of it though, as she slowly put the coffee pot back and added milk and sugar. She turned to the Keyblade wielder, glancing into the livingroom.

"No… I assumed she was already down here," she said slowly.

"We haven't seen her all morning. And she's _always_ awake before me! She even beat Riku when we were flying, and Riku can wake up at _dawn_." Sora stressed, worry suddenly coming over his features.

"You think she's in trouble?" Riku asked, concern now showing on his own features.

"Hm… maybe she went for an early training session? We're not that far from the park," Aurora said, taking a sip from her mug thoughtfully, not willing to jump to conclusions just yet.

"But Shay only trains when we're flying! She's never trained when we're on a new world cause she's worried she'll be spotted thanks to her abilities!" Sora protested, panic starting to lace his voice.

"Whoa, hold up, guys," Phoenix said, suddenly standing. He reached over the couch and grabbed the television remote, turning on the volume of the previously muted news. He had spotted the words ' _BREAKING NEWS'_ from the kitchen.

" _This just in. Police have arrested a person suspected of killing up and coming artist, Leo Ardo, owner of the Ren Sance Art Gallery,"_ the news anchor announced.

"Oh, man…" Phoenix muttered. Aurora shook her head at that.

" _The suspect in question, a young girl, is currently suffering from a concussion down at Hotti Clinic. This is the picture the police have provided."_ The news anchor continued.

A picture of a girl with dark brown, almost black, hair and wearing a silver stylized heart shaped pendent as well as a purple glass star was shown on the screen. She was in an alley, eyes closed and being held in the arms of Detective Gumshoe.

Aurora made a strangled kind of noise, her hand jumping to in front of her mouth. Riku looked like he had turned to stone. Phoenix's eyes were as wide as they had been when he'd learned Miles Edgeworth had been arrested all those years ago.

It was Sora who broke the silence.

"WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON?! WHY IS SHAY ON THE SCREEN, WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO HER, WHERE IS SHE, WHAT...THE...HECK...IS...GOING...ON?!" The Kingdom Key wielder yelled in one breath. His voice could almost be described as three, with an underlying fourth, for a brief second before he turned to Riku, his ocean blue eyes begging for answers.

Aurora was instantly in motion, rushing up the stairs. But it was Phoenix who answered.

"She's at a medical clinic, getting her concussion treated. They… they think she killed someone. Once the clinic releases her, she'll be taken to the Detention Center, where she'll await trial," he explained, putting a calming hand on the boy's shoulder.

"What do you _mean_ trial?!" Riku demanded, his expression suddenly morphing into a much calmer version of Sora's currently livid expression.

"It means they're going to look at all of the evidence and listen to testimony to see if she's innocent or guilty," Aurora said as she quickly came back down the steps. Rather than the shorts and oversized sweatshirt that acted as her pajamas, she was now wearing her teal business suit, quickly pulling her hair up into a bun.

"Aurora?" Phoenix asked, surprised.

"I'm going down to the Hotti Clinic. She's going to need a lawyer," she said, drawing herself up to full height once her hair was fully pulled back.

"But you haven't done a case before now." Phoenix argued half-heartedly. He knew her mind was already made up but he had to try.

"Gotta start somewhere. Besides, starting with a murder case is like a Wright Anything Agency tradition, right?" she asked, pouring her half-drank coffee into a travel mug before leaving. Phoenix sighed, knowing she was right about that.

"What did you mean, she hasn't done a case before now?" Riku asked.

"She only got her attorney's badge a week ago." Phoenix explained, "Literally at that. She's never had a case before so this would be her first." He then sighed. "Get ready. We should meet them at the Detention Center," he added, heading back up stairs.

…

* * *

Aurora was pacing the visitor's room when Phoenix, Riku, and Sora arrived.

"Did you see Shaylee yet?" Sora asked, his voice the most worried Aurora had ever heard him _or_ her Sora. She shook her head.

"No. The clinic had already released her by the time I got there. One of the officers gave me a ride here, though. I'm just waiting for them to finish questioning her, now," Aurora explained.

Just then, the door opened and Shaylee walked in. Her eyes, which had been glowing with happiness just the day before, were now dull and darker than before; they had an almost haunted look to them. Her hair was disheveled, as were her clothes, both most likely from the alley. Her skin was paler than even _Sora_ had ever seen it in the years he's known and traveled with the Guardian.

Her hands, however, gave the biggest sign. They were shaking even as they clutched her Wayfinder tightly, her knuckles even whiter than her skin and the risk of her cutting her palms becoming greater the harder she clutched it.

" _Shay_!" Sora and Riku cried as they saw her.

Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet her sons'.

"Sora...Riku…" She whispered, her voice soft and hoarse.

Something in Sora broke as he heard her voice and a single tear fell from his right eye as he reached a hand out to the glass, as if he could reach through it and touch her, comfort her, just as she did for him many times.

Riku was shaking in anger, his fists clenched tightly and his calm features now more closely resembling the angry, jealous boy he had been two years ago. A boy she had risked her life to save, time and time again.

Aurora was having a hard time keeping a cap on her own emotions at seeing Shaylee in this state. This was the same girl who had saved her, gave her a part of her own heart, without asking questions. She had been strong, and brave, and so kind the last time they met. So to see her this shaken up…

...Aurora was going to _destroy_ this prosecutor if it was the last thing she did.

She took a deep, calming breath, though. After all, she had a job to do. She stepped forward.

"Shaylee, are you okay?"

"...I...I am fine…" Shaylee whispered as she looked down, though her eyes remained steadfast on Sora and Riku.

Sora felt anger rise up inside of him. This was his friend, his teacher, his _mother_ and she shouldn't look like this!

Riku felt the same way as his best friend, his fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to control his anger.

Neither of the Guardian's sons spoke, too wrapped up in their emotions that she felt loud and clear.

Aurora pulled out the sole chair on their side of the glass and sat so that she was eye level with Shaylee. "Don't worry," she said with forced cheerfulness. "We know you didn't do it, and I intend to prove it. I just… need to ask you a few questions, 'kay?" she asked, pulling her notebook and pen from her bag and flipping to a clean sheet of paper. "First of all… what happened?"

"...I...I...I don't remember…" Shaylee whispered, seeming to shrink in on herself as she seemed to tighten her grip on the Wayfinder, if that was even possible. "I...there was a note...the...the law enforcement...the police...took it...I...I don't remember…anything...my book...my book tells...me nothing...my light...says nothing...I can't remember anything…" Tears began to fall from her eyes.

"Hey, hey, please, try to calm down," Aurora said soothingly, making calming motions with her hands. "It's okay. Memory loss is normal with concussions. The doctors said it wasn't _that_ serious, though, so the memories should come back, okay?"

Shaylee shook her head quickly, as if what Aurora said was impossible.

"My book...it should tell me...but it...hasn't…" The Guardian whispered.

"You mean nothing's appeared in the Book of Destiny?" Riku asked, his concern over what this meant outweighing his anger.

Shaylee nodded once, her head hanging in shame.

"Well, that's not your fault. It could be because of a few different things," Aurora said optimistically. "The concussion. Being in a different universe. Or, you know, maybe the book isn't supposed to be used for this kind of thing?"

"No, that book's called the Book of Destiny for a reason." Riku shook his head.

"The book's magic, if there's anything Shay doesn't know, it appears in that book." Sora added.

"Okay, but she's not the Guardian of Destiny in _this_ universe. Maybe it's like…" Aurora cast around for an example they would understand. "Like Port Royal," she finally said, looking at Sora. "When Luxord stole the gold. Jack was cursed, because he was a _part of that world._ You, Donald, and Goofy weren't though, right? Because you three didn't belong to that world. Maybe the book is the same thing?"

Shaylee shook her head roughly before she finally released the Wayfinder and took out the book in question.

She flipped through pages before she stopped and slid the book to Aurora through the opening at the bottom of the glass.

On the page Shaylee had flipped to, words were written in a beautiful cursive scrawl.

" _I do not understand this, but what has happened and what will happen is being blocked from these pages. However, I have recorded everything that happened previously. Show this to Aurora when she arrives, for otherwise she will not believe. Evidence is everything in court."_

As soon as Aurora finished reading the book, Shaylee reached out and snatched it back before she opened it again to the first page and showed them what was written there.

" _Regardless of warnings, the future doesn't scare me at all. I am here to guide you with the knowledge Destiny gives me, gives you. No matter where you go, I will be there, as long as your heart beats and your light shines as bright as Kingdom Hearts._

 _-The First Guardian"_

Aurora finished reading it, before looking up at Shaylee. _This… could mean a few things then. The most important thing to check…_ She closed her eyes stretched her senses out for Shaylee's heart, ignoring the rest that were in the room with them. She needed to check to make sure the Guardian's heart was balanced as it should be.

It was just like before. The lighthouse. The storm. Nothing had changed. Taking a deep breath, Aurora opened her eyes again and looked at the book. For a moment, her mind jumped to one person. She shook her head at the thought. _There's no reason for_ him _to do this to her._ I'm _his target. He probably doesn't even know who Shaylee is…_

"Aurora…?" Phoenix asked, speaking for the first time since they had arrived. He was still very confused, but he could get explanations later. Right now they needed to get Shaylee to calm down. Aurora turned and looked at him for a moment.

"Yeah, Nick?" she asked.

"Any changes?" The blue clad attorney asked.

"Nope. It's just like before…" the teal clad attorney replied.

"So something else is blocking the book." Riku stated logically as he crossed his arms in thought.

"We...shouldn't speak...of this any...anymore…" Shaylee whispered as she looked up the slightest bit, failure sparkling in her dull eyes.

Aurora took a deep breath, wanting to hug the girl. She simply nodded, glancing back at her notes. On the bus ride to the clinic, she had jotted down questions she had wanted to ask.

"Well, do you remember why you went to the gallery?" she asked.

"No...note...the note said...to go…" Shaylee whispered as she clutched the Wayfinder as if it was her lifeline. "I...I'm sorry I went...alone…"

"Why did you?" Sora asked, his voice equally angry and concerned, while Aurora took notes.

"The note...said...t-to…" The Guardian answered.

"So… almost like blackmail?" Aurora asked, looking up. _We need to get our hands on that note…_

"Y-yes...but I...I don't know...know if I didn't...didn't do it...I-I could've...I c-c-could've k-killed that...that man…" Shaylee whispered, her voice becoming impossibly soft as she hunched into herself, as if she could protect herself that way.

Sora and Riku looked ready to break the glass if it meant they could comfort the forlorn Guardian. Aurora wanted to do the same, but she knew that would only make matters worse. Instead, she quickly stowed her notebook away and stood, grabbing the boys' shoulders.

"Alright. I understand. I'll get to the bottom of this, Shaylee. Promise," she said in a determined voice.

"But...but I...I could be...be...a-a...a m…m-mu..." She couldn't get the word out.

"But you're not," Aurora said firmly. "I might not know you as well as the boys do, but I know you wouldn't do something like this. Besides," she smiled at the girl. "I've been taught to believe in my clients. And I believe in you." Phoenix smiled proudly at his cousin's words.

"Aurora…" Shaylee whispered in awe as tears of relief slowly fell down her cheeks. "Th-thank you...all of you…"

"Don't worry, Shay! We'll get you out of here before Master Yen Sid even realizes we're missing!" Sora promised with a bright grin, looking more like himself than he had in hours.

"That's right. We'll help as much as we can. We'll get you out." Riku swore with a small smile.

That made Shaylee cry even harder, tears of happiness and relief falling down her cheeks as fast and as thick as a waterfall as she whispered her thanks over and over again under her breath. She looked as if a huge weight, the fear of having done something without memory of it, had been lifted from her shoulders. In that moment, her eyes seemed to shine just a bit more than they had when the group had entered.

That fact alone made all of them smile.

"Alright. I think we have everything we need from here. Time to investigate the crime scene," Aurora said, before hesitantly looking up at her cousin/mentor. "Right, Nick?"

Phoenix laughed. "Right. Will you be okay, Shaylee?"

"Y-yes...I have...my friends to comfort me in there." Her voice was stronger than it had been a minute ago and her grip on the Wayfinder seemed less like a lifeline and more of a treasured item. Her eyes stared down at the glass star as if it was her only light in the dark cell she was returning to.

"Huh?" Phoenix asked, not understanding. Aurora grinned.

"She means in her heart. Now, come on." She began pushing Phoenix towards the door. She stopped and looked back at Shaylee with a warm smile. "We'll be back."

"I'll be here." Shaylee nodded, her voice strong and genuine which warmed her sons' hearts to hear again as they followed Aurora out.

* * *

Aurora and Phoenix led the boys to the bus station, where they got on the bus going to the gallery.

"Hey, what was that thing you did after Shay showed you her book?" Sora asked suddenly as the four of them sat down. Aurora, without thinking, took the seat next to Riku, forcing Phoenix to sit with Sora. She glanced over at the brunette.

"What do you mean?" she asked, forgetting that these two didn't know about her ability.

"When Shay showed you the passage at the Book's beginning." Riku explained, "The one about how her heart should stay as bright as Kingdom Hearts."

"Oh, right. You two don't know," Aurora mused. She rested back in her seat. "For as long as I can remember… I've been able to sense the balance of light and dark in a person's heart. And… when I close my eyes, I see a vision - an image that symbolizes their heart," she explained.

"That's so cool!" Sora gasped in awe. "What do our and Shay's hearts look like?"

Aurora hesitated. "I… well, I don't know if Shay will appreciate me telling you about her heart, but…" First she looked at Riku, and closed her eyes.

 _A large field with the night sky stretching overhead. Aurora stood on a path, alone. The path stretched towards the rising sun, and a warm breeze alleviated the chill that was around her._

"A path, in a large field, moving towards the rising sun," she said, opening her eyes and looking at the silver haired boy. It was the same exact vision that she saw with her own Riku - _except my Riku has a bush growing next to the path_. She then turned to Sora, and braced herself, before closing her eyes again.

 _A path at high noon. To the right was a rolling, grassy field. To the left, it looked like there had once been a forest, but… all of the tree's had been ripped up by their roots._

 _A sunset over a peaceful city, the light spreading over the walls facing the sun, as long, deep shadows stretched away from the dark sides of those buildings._

 _A perfect mirror image of the previous one, with just the same amount of light and darkness._

 _A sunny beach, the waves lapping at the sand rhythmically. The only shadows were cast by the spattering of palm trees further up the beach._

 _Each of these images were superimposed over each other, with the beach being the clearest._

Aurora opened her eyes, hiding the wince.

"And a sunny beach," she told Sora, not knowing how much about his own heart this Sora knew.

"Wow…" Sora whispered, his eyes wide in awe.

"Impressive." Riku nodded with a small smile.

"Kinda like Shay's power over light!" Sora exclaimed, his grin bright like the sun. Aurora smiled shyly.

"It's not all that great. With my eyes open, I sense darkness as cold, and…" she shuddered. "It makes going into places like the detention center a bit chilly. Besides, it's not like I can use it to defend myself, like Shaylee and her light," she said.

"Your powers are more similar than you think." Riku countered, "Shay says she used to pass out if she even attempted to use her light abilities. It took her ten years to not pass out on some of them but she's always out of breath and has to step back, leaving her vulnerable."

"It's only when it's a necessity that she uses them. If she uses too much, she could end up in a coma." Sora added. "She...did that once, during the Battle of a Thousand Heartless. To save me…"

Both Aurora's and Phoenix's eyes darkened at the mention of _that_ particular battle, but Aurora nodded. "Makes sense. Light is a powerful weapon… though she didn't tell me she went into a coma…" she said.

"She doesn't want to make people worry. She's as stubborn as Riku at times." Sora stated.

"What was that?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow at his best friend.

"Nothing!" Sora grinned innocently before the two began to playfully fight and tease each other. Aurora giggled at that.

 _They're not too different from my Sora and Riku,_ she thought in amusement. Phoenix shook his head at the two, their previous grim expressions gone.

Sora and Riku shared a look, happy their plan to bring the two Wrights out of bad memories worked, just as it always did on Shaylee.

* * *

Just then, the bus reached the gallery and the four got off.

"Why'd someone ask Shay to come here?" Sora asked as he looked at the gallery as well as the police cars and tape surrounding it. "Why would anyone come here with all these cars and the tape here?"

Aurora was too busy giggling to answer, so Phoenix said "The tape and cars are the police's. They're investigating the murder, so… they wouldn't have been here yesterday. As for why someone would ask her to come here… well, that's what we need to figure out."

As they walked up the steps to the gallery's entrance, Sora whispered to Riku,

"So why're they here now?"

Riku shrugged, as he himself didn't understand it.

"Some worlds are just stranger than others." He answered.

* * *

Inside the gallery, the police milled about, checking for evidence such as fingerprints or hair, and taking pictures. One man, in a scruffy green trench coat, stood near the white outline on the floor where the victim had been found. It was towards this man that Phoenix led the group.

"Detective Gumshoe!" Phoenix called as Aurora, giggling all the while, answered Sora's questions. Even Riku seemed interested yet confused with her answers, the same as Sora was.

Gumshoe looked up. "Ah! Mr. Wright! What are you doing here, pal?" he asked.

"I'm assisting the Agency's newest lawyer in her investigation," Phoenix replied, a hint of pride in his voice, as he motioned towards his cousin. Aurora looked up, the giggles fading. This was her first time meeting a detective while on a case of her own.

"You? But you're still just a newbie, aren't you pal?" Gumshoe asked, "Why're you taking a case this big right off the bat?"

"The defendant is my friend. I couldn't just _not_ take her case, right?" Aurora replied. She would have been stung by the detective's words… if they hadn't been true.

Just then, Gumshoe's eyes landed on Riku. "Hey! It's you! Long time, no see. Errrr…. Riku, right?" he asked. Panic immediately surged through Aurora as Riku stared blankly at the detective.

 _The one time he remembers a name CORRECTLY!_ She thought. Before Riku could say anything, as he was going to, she spoke up.

"Ah, um, Detective, this isn't Riku. This is… his twin! Right. Histwin, ,Lance?" Aurora's words seemed to tumble together near the end as she turned to the boy in desperation. Riku stared at her in confusion for a minute before he nodded.

"Right." The newly christened Lance agreed. "I'm Riku's twin brother, Lance. I'm in town right now with my friends, Sora and Shaylee. We're traveling through and Shay and I thought we'd stop in town to see her friend and so I could meet my brother's girlfriend that he's told me about." Aurora blushed at those words..

"Smooth, Aurora." Phoenix muttered sarcastically, only for her to elbow him in the ribs. _Hard._

"But that wasn't smooth." Sora stated, confused, only for Aurora to smack him upside the head. Gumshoe watched in confusion before he turned away with a 'right' mumbled under his breath.

"Where'd you come up with that name?" Lance whispered to Aurora subtly.

"I read once that 'riku' means land. And land and Lance sound similar. It's the only thing I could think of," Aurora admitted.

Just then, the teal clad attorney noticed the lost look the detective was sending the group.

"Don't you have a job to do, pals?" Gumshoe asked. Aurora jumped slightly, quickly reaching into her bag for her notebook.

"Right. Er…" she flipped to the page she needed, the one that had questions for the detective. "C-can I ask you a few questions, Detective Gumshoe?" she asked. It was clear she was a little nervous, and being called out by him didn't help.

"Er, I dunno, pal. Detectives aren't really supposed to help the defense. And the prosecutor on this case…" Gumshoe shuddered. Phoenix, who has seen this sort of behaviour from the detective before, bit his lip. He was a little worried about who that prosecutor might be. Aurora wouldn't be dissuaded though.

"Please, Detective? I'm just trying to find the truth of this case. And… as it's my first case, can't you help me a little?" she tried, widening her eyes just a bit.

Gumshoe cracked in a second. _Not even Maya managed that._ Phoenix thought, impressed.

"Oh, alright, but...just this once!" Gumshoe agreed. Aurora lit up.

"Thank you!" she said brightly. She looked down at her notebook. "So… who reported the crime?" she asked.

"A friend of the victim who had been visiting that night." Gumshoe answered, "And for the record, his alibi is rock solid, pal."

 _Of course it is…_ Aurora thought as she wrote down the answer. "I guess he's going to be testifying, huh?" she asked.

"You betcha! Should be an open and shut case with this guy." Gumshoe nodded, though he sounded the slightest bit unsure of himself. Phoenix smiled at that.

"Where have we heard that one before?" he asked off-handedly.

"Well it's never one with one of you pals on the case!" Gumshoe argued, his fists clenching as he began to breathe more heavily. Both cousins looked at him, the family resemblance shining through in that instance.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked, curious.

"Another time for that story, Sora." Phoenix brushed him off as Aurora returned to her notes.

"So, this witness… can we get a name?" she asked, turning up the sweetness-level again.

"'Fraid not, pal. The prosecutor's...strict on this stuff." Gumshoe answered, seeming to be a bit proud of himself. Aurora deflated.

"Okay." She glanced at her notes once more. "So, what was the cause of death?"

"Seems to be a poison known as Glocknyl Poison." Gumshoe answered, "It's a very rare poison only found in some parts of the world. Which is why we arrested the suspect in the first place!"

"Wait, what? Why? Because she travels? That's not rock solid evidence. That's like… a theory. At best," Aurora said, looking up from her notes. "There has to be more as to why you arrested her…"

"We found something to connect her to the poison as well as other evidence that pointed to her. Have a look if you want, even you won't be able to deny this evidence, pal." Gumshoe smirked. Aurora drew herself up to full height.

"Well, we'll just have to see about that," she said, closing her notebook and putting it in her bag. She then began to look around. Phoenix looked at Sora.

"Don't touch anything," he told the boy, having _way_ too much experience with a few people like him.

"What? Why not?" Sora almost whined, not understanding the importance of not touching anything. "I touch stuff on my adventures all the time! How else do you look at stuff?"

"Yeah, that's how we got stuck in Space Paranoids," Aurora grumbled, thinking back to when Sora started _slamming_ on the keyboard of Ansem's computer.

"And how I met Pooh!" Sora added, sounding proud of himself as he placed his hands on his hips with a grin.

Phoenix ignored that and was focused on getting his point across to the boy. "This is a crime scene. Messing it up is a crime in of itself, and we're surrounded by officers. Besides, if you mess it up, we can't find the truth."

"Or save Shaylee." Riku stated bluntly as he shared a look with Sora.

The two boys nodded before they turned to meet Phoenix's eyes. The blue clad attorney was surprised to see just how serious the two boys looked. They looked like loyal and determined warriors instead of the kids they had been since they arrived.

He'd seen that look on Aurora's face a few times since she returned from her own world travels. But the look on the boys' faces just made them look so much older and Phoenix imagined Shaylee's eyes were even worse than theirs.

Meanwhile, Aurora began her investigation. _If it was poison, it had to enter the body somehow…_ she thought, looking around. She spotted two mugs on a table and walked over. A forensics officer was already there, spraying them with some kind of aerosol.

"Excuse me, officer. What are you doing?" Aurora asked. The officer looked up, and smiled slightly.

"Checking for traces of poison. If there's anything on the mugs, this chemical compound, devised by Detective Skye, will make it show up," he said. Aurora nodded, watching the mugs. A moment later, the officer pulled out a pair of glasses with pink lenses and handed them to Aurora. "What do you see?"

Aurora put them on, and gasped softly. On the rim of one of the mugs was a red substance. She told the officer, who turned to write it down. Aurora added the information to her own Court Record before giving the glasses back. She wandered over to where Phoenix was crouched next to the white outline.

"He ingested the poison," she said, crouching next to her cousin. Phoenix nodded.

"Yeah. An officer found traces of it on his lips, too. And look at this," he said, pointing to glass fragments that were scattered on the floor.

"You think that was the container it was in?" Aurora asked. Phoenix nodded, and Aurora quickly added all of that to her Court Record. Phoenix glanced at it, to see what she had so far, and nodded with a small smile.

She stood and walked around, inspecting everything she could see. She suddenly stopped however, staring at something on the floor that was right near the back door.

"No…" she breathed, crouching down. She reached for it, about to pick it up, but stopped herself at the last second before she touched it.

"That's Shay's!" Sora pointed out. "She plays with it all the time when we're flying."

"I know it's her's," Aurora said, before looking up at him. "I'm the one who gave it to her."

"You were?" Riku asked as he walked to stand beside Sora. Aurora nodded.

"The first time we met. I gave that to her as thanks, and so she wouldn't forget me. And she gave me this ribbon." Aurora held up her right wrist, where the pink ribbon was tied. "It was a way for us to stay connected, despite being in different universes. We didn't even know if we'd ever meet again, to be honest." She looked down at the pin for a moment longer, before standing and going over to a forensic officer. Seconds later, he was pouring aluminum powder over the pin and gently brushing it off.

"It's covered in prints," the officer concluded. "And all of them belong to the defendant."

"Well, yeah, it belongs to her, but is there any other prints on there? At all?" Aurora was almost begging.

"Nope," the officer said, walking away. Aurora groaned, jotting it down and taking pictures with her phone.

"Why's there a ladder here?" Sora asked as he approached said object curiously. "Seems a little out of place in an art gallery."

"You mean a step-ladder?" both Aurora and Phoenix asked in unison.

"No, it's a ladder." Sora insisted.

"It's clearly a step-ladder. They're two different things, Sora," Aurora said, looking over at said object.

"What's so different? A ladder's a ladder, right Riku?" Sora asked, looking for support from his best friend.

"Sorry Sora, I'd call it a step-ladder." Riku apologized halfheartedly.

"And Ardo probably used it to hang the pictures up there," Aurora added, answering the boy's original question, as she pointed to the paintings that were above head level.

"I still say it's just a dang ladder." Sora muttered as he crossed his arms and pouted. Phoenix shook his head at the exchange.

"Why does this always come up?" he muttered, walking away to continue searching for evidence.

* * *

After they investigated the crime scene from top to bottom, the group of four headed back to the detention center to finish questioning Shaylee.

They piled once more into the visitor's room and waited for her to appear on the other side of the glass.

Shaylee entered quietly, her Wayfinder still grasped in her hands and her eyes brighter than when she had entered the last time. But she still refused to smile and that bugged Sora, Riku, and Aurora to no end.

Aurora smiled at her. "We checked out the crime scene," she said, sitting down.

"Did you find anything? I...I still can't remember if I...I did it." Shaylee asked. Though her voice was stronger, she still hesitated when her memories came up as well as the question of her innocence.

"Well, have you ever heard of Glocknyl poison?" Aurora asked. She was stalling on bringing up the pin.

"...A little bit, before everything began and I started training and traveling." Shaylee answered. "It's...a rare poison, is it not?"

"It is," Aurora replied with a nod, having _really hoped_ Shaylee wouldn't have. "That was the cause of death. There were traces found on Ardo's mug and lips, and the container was smashed right next to where his body had been found."

"What an awful way to die…" Shaylee whispered, "Poor Mr. Ardo…" Then her eyes shot up to meet Aurora's. "You are hiding something from me, aren't you."

It wasn't a question.

Aurora sighed and pulled out her phone. She opened one of the pictures she had taken and held it up for Shaylee to see.

"This was found at the scene, and it has only your fingerprints. It places you there…" she said.

"I thought so." Shaylee said grimly. "I knew it was missing and I...guess I must've thought the...note sender had it...maybe? I figured out it was at the crime scene when I woke up without it and when I asked the prosecutor about it he wouldn't tell me anything about it. The pieces weren't that hard to put together."

"And Shay always knows when something's being hidden from her." Riku answered Aurora's unspoken question of how Shaylee knew the teal clad attorney was hiding something.

Aurora smiled slightly at Riku. "I wondered. Then again, I'm so used to it, too. After all, everyone at the Wright Anything Agency are basically human lie detectors," she said with a smile. She then looked at Shaylee.

The Guardian looked almost defeated, even as her eyes held some light in them.

"Hey Shay! Guess what we saw at the gallery!" Sora suddenly cut in. Aurora and Phoenix sent the brunnette a confused glance, not understand what he was doing.

"What Sora?" Shaylee asked.

"A ladder! But the rest of them call it a 'step-ladder,' but it's a ladder, right Shay?" Sora asked, his eyes practically begging Shaylee.

"Yes. Sorry to disappoint all of you, but there is no difference between a ladder and a step-ladder." Shaylee answered, her head falling forward and her hair hiding her face.

Aurora felt personally betrayed by her friend. "What!?" she gasped. "There is totally a difference! A ladder needs to be leaned against something, and a step-ladder can stand on its own!" she pointed out in an aghast voice.

"That doesn't change the fact that they're both ladders, in essence." Shaylee stated.

"Yeah! What Shay said! And Shay's always right, so _you all are wrong_! I win! Ha, I finally beat you, Riku!" Sora grinned.

"This isn't like our races, Sora." Riku stated, though a smile tugged at his lips.

"Yeah it is! And I beat you, so hah! As long as I have Shay on my side, I'll always win! Just like the fact that it _was_ a ladder!" Sora boasted as he jumped from foot to foot.

" _OBJECTION!"_ Aurora yelled, pointing at Sora. "That was just her opinion! I still say it was a step-ladder! That like calling a tiger a cat. They might essentially be the same thing, but a tiger is _completely different_ from a house cat!" she argued.

Sora did not let Aurora's, admittedly logical, answer deter him.

"So what? A tiger is still a cat, just like a lion! Besides, I _was_ a lion and so was Shay! Didn't change that we were, _in essence_ , human!" Sora argued back. How he sounded almost logical, or how this went from an argument about ladders and step-ladders to _cats_ of all things, was beyond all of them. The grin on Sora's face did not reassure any of them.

Aurora, however, smirked, crossing her arms and quirking an eyebrow. "Would you call Sabor from Deep Jungle _just a cat_?" she asked slyly, having heard all about Sora's first adventure from her own Sora.

"Yep! Because he acted like a cat and looked like a cat so he was a cat!" Sora nodded.

"But not like a house cat! If that battle happened the same way to you as it did my Sora, _SABOR ALMOST ATE YOU!_ " Aurora exploded.

"Doesn't change the facts." Sora practically _sang_.

Before Aurora, who looked as if she wanted to strangle Sora, could answer, the group heard a sound they hadn't heard in what felt like forever.

It was a laugh.

 _Shaylee's laugh._

The brunette Guardian was laughing so hard she looked like she was about to cry. When her laughs died down enough, she opened her eyes and did something else none of them expected.

 _She smiled._

And that simply made Sora's grin all the brighter as well as Riku's, who had started to smile when the argument had become one about _cats_ as he figured out Sora's plan then.

Many hearts in that small room sang with happiness at the sight of the smile that seemed to make the room a little brighter. The irritation on Aurora's face at Sora's illogical argument melted away, and she smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Sora. _Thank you so much._ " Shaylee smiled, her voice full of meaning. "Aurora...I want to officially ask you to...what's the word? Ah, yes, I want to ask you to 'defend' me in court."

That caused Phoenix and Aurora to laugh. It was obvious Shaylee was not as used to a modern world as she had once been.

"Of course," Aurora said with a warm smile. "Just leave it to me."

"Even if it turns out I _am_ the one who killed Mr. Ardo, I believe you can help me. And help my sons too, cause Kingdom Hearts knows they need it." Shaylee stated and she smiled again as Sora and Riku began to comically protest her claims.

The detention center had never been so warm as it was that day.

…

* * *

 **Emerald:** And here we are, at the end of chapter two!

 **Wolfie:** Man was that an emotional roller coaster!

 **Emerald:** Hopefully Aurora can pull off a full acquittal for her first case! Because not just Shaylee needs it. Could you imagine what would happen in her universe if she's arrested on a murder in the first degree charge?

 **Wolfie:** I...don't think my Sora and Riku would survive that. They'd bring everyone in DDD back to your universe and _break into prison to get her back_. And not to mention how Ven, Roxas and Xion will react. That'd be a mess for not just Sora, but everyone. Anyway, we hope you guys enjoyed! Leave your thoughts in a review! See you later!


	3. Chapter 3:Trial Day One

**A/N:**

 **WolfieRed23:** Hey everyone, we liiiiiiiivvve! Betcha missed us, eh? Sorry for the wait, we've just both been so busy that we couldn't find time to write this up together, though part of this has been ready since March.

 **EmeraldWings1992:** Between finishing school and getting our lives together. You know, the dreaded reality of being an adult. Ugh. But we're back! And we're ready! Hopefully! Right Wolfie?

 **WolfieRed23:** I should hope so! At least we have all our plans written down, right? It's not like we're _completely_ in hot water, ha ha!

 **EmeraldWings1992:** Hah! Seriously. Well, enough from us. I'm sure you didn't click just to read us yacking. So Review Reply time! (Thank Wolfie. I nearly forgot).

Reply to RhythmicJustice

 **Emerald** : Thanks! You'll just love who the prosecutor is. We're having a lot of fun writing him. Right, Wolfie?

 **Wolfie:** You more so than anyone else since the trials are mostly you. But it's definitely fun working out all their tricks.

 **Emerald** : Hehe...

Reply to Gamergirl

 **Wolfie:** Yeah, I really can't give Shay a break, trust me it hurts me a lot. And it hurts Emerald too, you should've seen her review for the second to last chapter of Shaylee's first story.

 **Emerald:** Hey! It's not often I cry at fanfiction. *sniffle*

 **Wolfie:** Then I've done my job! *grins* But don't worry, Shaylee always has a reason to smile at the end, which is the point.

 **Emerald:** Well, I think that's it for replies. ONWARD!

…

* * *

Chapter Three - Day One: Trial

Aurora had never been so nervous in her life. Not on her first day at Themis, nor her second first day when she came back from her otherworldly adventures. She wasn't even this nervous when she sat down for the Bar Exam.

But now, nausea rolled through her stomach as she paced Defendant Lobby Three, thinking over everything she's learned about this case so far.

 _It's a good thing I didn't eat breakfast…_ the thought suddenly burst into her mind, interrupting the important ones. _Or else that potted plant might get a little extra fertilizing…_

"Aurora, calm down," Phoenix, who was sitting on the couch, said, watching his cousin wear a rut in the floor.

"I'm calm. Why do you think I'm not calm?" Aurora said. Phoenix sighed.

"Look… I know it's your first case-" he began, only for her to whirl on him.

"That's right! It is! Do you think I'll get one of the Payne brothers?" she gasped hopefully.

"Well, if tradition stands…" Phoenix said weakly.

"This is your first case?" 'Lance' repeated, suddenly sounding wary from where he stood near the wall, Sora beside him. Aurora jumped, turning to face the boys, and biting her lip.

"Um…" she muttered, unable to answer.

"I thought you've done this before!" Sora cried, worry crossing his features. "What if something goes wrong and Shay can't leave? Or worse, what if she dies?! We _need_ Shay with us, we can't lose her!" Sora's breathing quickened in panic before 'Lance' hit his back, forcing him to relax.

Aurora looked down, his words echoing through her mind. Phoenix sighed and stood, walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her.

"This is the first time she's _leading_ the defense," he said.

"Meaning?" 'Lance' asked calmly while Sora looked up with eyes sparkling with a bit of hope and a bit of caution, as if two different people were looking out through his eyes.

"Meaning she's stood at the bench with me _and_ my subordinates numerous times. She knows how a trial can go, and she's helped pull off some amazing Turnabouts." Nick grinned, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Besides. She won't be up there alone. If things start to go sideways, I'll be there to help her out."

Aurora looked up at Phoenix and nodded, taking a deep breath and putting on a smile. "Right. That's right. And in his career, Nick's only ever lost once. And that was on purpose," she added, her smile getting wider.

"Ah. Twice," Phoenix said self-consciously.

"The second was a mistrial. That doesn't count," Aurora countered, growing more and more into her confident self.

"So...Shay's gonna be okay?" Sora asked as he slowly began to smile.

Aurora nodded. "Yes. I believe in her innocence. And I'm going to prove it."

Just then, the doors to the lobby opened and the group turned to see Shaylee walk in, Gumshoe leading her in. Once they entered, the detective removed the handcuffs from her wrists and nodded at the group in front of them.

Aurora's smile immediately became a little forced again as her nerves acted up. _Dang it! Is this how Nick or Polly feel before a case!?_ she silently raged.

"Are you alright, Aurora?" Shaylee suddenly spoke up. Her face was pale, her voice was weak and her eyes looked haunted yet she still put Aurora's wellbeing before her own, the connection between their hearts pulsing with the Guardian's concern.

Aurora's smile faded a little as she took in her friend's appearance. "I should be asking you that," she said. "They weren't too hard on you, were they?"

"No...I've just been...reliving some memories while in the dark. I'm fine." Shaylee looked down briefly before she shook her head. Consciously, she hid the back of her right hand from Aurora. "Anyways, shouldn't the trial be starting soon? I imagine you must be nervous. But I believe you'll be okay and don't worry about me. I'm fine."

Aurora let out a sigh and smiled at her. "Just a bit nervous, that's all. And you're my client, as well as my friend. Worrying about you is kind of in the job description," she joked weakly.

Shaylee frowned and looked away, a shadow falling over her eyes.

"Don't force yourself to smile, Aurora. At times, it's better to just be yourself. And don't worry about me, I'm fine." She said, her voice stubborn.

Phoenix shook his head at her last two words, thinking of another stubborn young adult. "Like a catch phrase…" he muttered to himself, too quiet to be heard.

Aurora studied her for a moment. "Shay… it's in the darkest times that a lawyer must wear her biggest smile. It's like… a light inside the darkness. And how she shows her strength. It's how we show we're not falling under the pressure of a case or anything, no matter how… hopeless it might seem." Aurora's eyes widened. "Not that your case seems hopeless or anything!" she quickly added.

"Forcing a smile...that's like forcing yourself to believe that if nothing else will be okay, at least there's one last light...I'd rather smile when I believe in myself then allow someone falling into darkness see one last unattainable light…" Shaylee said softly, an image of dark brown hair and royal blue eyes flashing into her mind before they faded to silver and gold, followed by a pair of ocean blue ones turning the same color gold and, finally, darkness trapping a boy with so much potential in its grasp as he fought it to protect his friends.

"Sometimes… you have to force yourself to believe," Aurora said softly, her own mind flashing to white walls, white furniture, and a door with no handle.

Phoenix looked between the two, having a feeling he knew where his cousin's mind went. "Okay, guys, that's enough of that. We have to prep for the trial, remember?" he said in an effort to snap those two out of it.

"Can we help you guys defend Shay?" Sora asked, his voice excited and hopeful. 'Lance' looked at Phoenix as well, his aqua eyes sharing Sora's sentiment.

"Eh…. not today. You helped a lot during the investigation, but the last time we had more than two people at the Defense Bench, it was a little… cramped," he said.

Suddenly, the lobby doors burst open to reveal a very large group of people.

Athena pointed at the two world traveling boys as if she was objecting and cried,

"There they are! Grab them!"

"Go, Polly!" Trucy added as she pushed her older brother foreward, Maya right beside him.

"Why me?" Apollo asked even as he made sure to grab 'Lance' while Maya struggled with Sora, Pearl cheering her on.

Phoenix facepalmed.

Aurora watched with wide eyes. "Apollo's lucky he didn't wind up with his head impaled on a Keyblade…" she muttered.

Shaylee, however, began to laugh as Sora began to fight Maya, who was dragging him out of the lobby, while 'Lance' left calmly with Apollo, sending the defendant one last look before he left. Because she was laughing, however, she raised her right hand, revealing the dark purple stylized heart tattoo that was on the back of it.

"Court is about to begin. Will the Defendant and her lawyers please enter the courtroom?" the bailiff announced.

…

* * *

The courtroom was the same as it always was when Aurora would stand as Phoenix's Legal Aid. The Judge was perched at his bench, his bald scalp gleaming in the light. The gallery quickly filled in with people who came to watch the case, and Shaylee was lead to the defendant's chair, behind and to the right of the Witness Stand. Phoenix let out a small groan from where he stood next to Aurora at the Defense Bench. Aurora looked up at him, then followed his gaze to the Prosecutor's bench.

 _ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?_ She silently screamed.

The Judge slammed his gavel once, and the muttering in the room died. "Court is now in session for the murder of Leo Ardo. Is the defense ready?" the man asked.

Aurora stood up straight, exuding confidence. "Y-yes, your honor," she said, only to wince when her voice cracked. The judge studied her for a moment, before turning to the Prosecutor's Bench.

"Is the prosecution ready?" he asked.

"Hmph. Of course, Your Baldness," the prosecutor, Simon Blackquill, said. Aurora looked over at the man once more, only to find his chilling gaze leveled with her. "Of course, I thought I would be facing the older Wright today. It seems the younger one forgot to sharpen her sword."

Aurora let out a huff at that. _Let me tell you a thing or two about REAL swords!_ She thought acidically.

"Prosecutor Blackquill has a point. Miss. Wright, I understand you only just passed the bar exam last week?" the Judge asked. Aurora turned her attention to him.

"Y-yes, your honor. But I've trained hard for this, and I interned at the Wright Anything Agency for two years. I'm ready," she said.

"Hm… Mr. Wright?" the Judge asked.

"I believe she can handle this, Your Honor. Miss. Wright is a lot stronger than she looks," Phoenix said with a smile, glancing at his cousin. "Plus, she has me here to guide her."

"That's what I'm worried about," the Judge said.

"H-hey!" Phoenix gasped. Aurora smiled at that as the Judge glanced down at his notes. He then looked back at Blackquill.

"Your opening statement, please," he prompted. Blackquill looked up at the Judge with a honey-like smile.

"Why, your Honor, it seems as though you already have your notes in order. Why don't you give the opening statement today?" he asked in a smooth voice.

The judge gasped. "You mean it?" he asked.

"Oh, just this once," Blackquill said with a coy smile. The Judge sat up a little straighter and cleared his throat.

"The morning of April 24th, Leo Ardo was found, dead, inside the Ren Sance Art Gallery. He died of a rare poison found only in certain parts of the world. Miss. Shaylee James was found in the vicinity of the gallery, and has traces of the poison on her clothes, thus leading to the police to arrest her of Mr. Ardo's murder," the Judge said in a clear voice, reading off his notes. He then looked up at Blackquill. "How'd I do?" he asked.

"Perfect, Your Baldness," Blackquill said with a smirk, scratching under the beak of the hawk perched on his shoulder. He finally looked up. "The prosecution would like to submit two pieces of evidence to the Court Record."

Taka, the hawk, snatched two folders from the desk and flew across the room, dropping them in front of Aurora. The young attorney quickly looked through them as Taka flew to the judge with his copies.

The first was the autopsy report. 'Died of asphyxiation just after 8pm on April 23rd. Traces of Glocknyl Poison was found in his mug and on his lips.' _What time did Apollo bring those three to the office? Ugh… I can't remember…_

The second file was data about the traces found on Shaylee's clothes. 'Traces of Glocknyl poison was found on the defendant's right sleeve.' _Well, that doesn't help our case any…_

Aurora filed the two reports away in the court record and turned her attention back to the case at hand.

"The prosecution would like to call it's first witness. Dumb Shoe!" Blackquill snapped. Detective Dick Gumshoe stepped to the witness stand. Despite now being chief of the homicide department, he still looked at the prosecutor with equal measures of awe and fear.

"Name and occupation."

"D-Dick Gumshoe. Head of the Homicide Unit!" the detective said nervously.

"Now, give your testimony as to the other piece of evidence incriminating our mysterious Pixie." Blackquill demanded.

Shaylee blinked several times as she stared at the prosecutor. Aurora, on the other hand, frowned deeply, not appreciating his mocking of her friend.

"Why's he calling Shay a pixie?" Sora asked from where he sat in between Athena and Maya.

"Shaylee means 'fairy princess of the field' in Celtic." Pearl explained from her place beside Maya. "By calling Ms. Shaylee a pixie, Prosecutor Blackquill is mocking her name as well as her unknown past."

Athena's arm instantly shot out and held Sora back.

Gumshoe took a deep breath, and nodded.

"The time of death was just after 8pm on the 23rd."

Aurora glanced over the autopsy report, before nodding slightly. Nothing seemed amiss there.

"We got the call from a Mr. Angelo the next morning."

" _Hold it!_ Around what time was that?" Aurora asked. Gumshoe frowned slightly in thought, not quite remembering.

"Wasn't it 8 am, Dumb Shoe?" Blackquill supplied, his back facing the court.

"Oh yeah!" Gumshoe said brightly. "I was even feature on the news! They said it was broadcasted live, too!" Aurora cringed slightly, remembering that she had actually _watched_ that broadcast. _I should have known that…_

"Along with her actually _being_ at the scene of the crime…" Gumshoe continued happily. Aurora's eyes widened at that, thinking back once again to that news cast.

" _OBJECTION!"_ she yelled, cutting the man off. She hesitated a moment, suddenly feeling the rush that Phoenix, Apollo, and Athena had told her about. _Wow…_ she thought. _They weren't kidding! It is quite the rush!_

"What is it, Wright-dono?" Blackquill questioned in a bored tone, back still to the court. Aurora cringed slightly at that.

"R-right! According to that news cast you just mentioned, Ms. James wasn't found at the crime scene, but just outside of the scene," she said.

Blackquill turned to face her finally, his face blank.

"And?" He asked.

"Um… i-it was a contradiction of the facts?" Aurora said, trying to keep her voice steady.

She never saw the slice of air coming.

"EEP!" she yelped, lurching backwards as a lock of her hair drifted down in front of her, landing on the bench.

"Try to let Dumb Shoe finish his sentence before jumping to conclusions, Wright-dono." Blackquill said, hunched over his bench before he straightened. "Dumb Shoe. Continue."

"Yes sir. We found evidence that placed her inside!" Gumshoe continued, happy he wasn't on the receiving end of that. Aurora hesitated, knowing she needed more info, but now nervous. Phoenix nudged her.

"H- _Hold it!_ " she called reluctantly, one eye on Gumshoe, the other on Blackquill.

Shaylee watched her from where she sat, her expression unreadable as her right hand nervously played with her Wayfinder, the tattoo on her hand catching the light.

"Now what?" Blackquill demanded, his patience paper thin.

"Detective. What was this evidence?" Aurora asked, still eyeing Blackquill nervously. Phoenix, on the other hand, noticed Shaylee's tattoo. His eyes narrowed slightly, before he shook his head, deciding to ask about it later.

"Hair! We found a few strands of hair just under the table inside the art gallery," Gumshoe explained.

"Before you ask, Wright-dono, forensics has confirmed it belongs to our mysterious Pixie. Officer Ema Skye herself performed the test." Blackquill cut in, causing the question to die on Aurora's lips.

"Right," she muttered.

Shaylee's grip tightened on her Wayfinder, though her expression didn't change at all and only if one was watching closely could they notice the movement. Phoenix did.

"It's obvious who'd done it from the start!" Gumshoe finished proudly.

"Indeed it is," the Judge agreed. "This seems like an open and shut case if I'd ever seen one. I guess it's time for my verdict." He began to raise his gavel.

" _Objection!"_ Aurora cried, halting the hammer's descent. "Th-the defense has a witness. One who can explain why my client couldn't have committed this crime."

" _SILENCE!_ " The sword sliced through the air just as fast as the word did, taking another lock of Aurora's hair. Blackquill spit out his feather in irritation. "The defense cannot call a witness." His voice was calm, showing how dangerous he was at that moment.

Aurora, leaning back once more, starred at the man with wide eyes, her brain going into overdrive. _That… doesn't seem right. Ugh! What was that professor saying in lecture about witness calling?_

"Hm… he has a point, Miss. Wright. I'm sorry to say this is the end of your first case," the Judge agreed, nodding. Phoenix quickly turned to look at Aurora, surprised at her hesitation.

"Aurora…" Shaylee whispered softly, causing the Seer's eyes to shoot over to the Guardian, who's own head was bowed, eyes hidden. "I...I believe in you. Don't be afraid...don't let his facade trick you. Just do what you do best!" Shaylee slowly looked up, her eyes shining with belief for Aurora and their connection streaming that confidence to the attorney.

Feeling it, Aurora grinned, giving the slightest nod, as the words of that lecture came back to her.

" _OBJECTION!"_ she cried, pointing at the prosecutor. The Judge hesitated in slamming his gavel, looking confused. "Sorry, Prosecutor Blackquill, but your mind tricks won't work on me. Defense Attorneys _do_ have the right to call witnesses," she said with a confident grin, her hands on her hips. For a moment, Phoenix felt as though he was looking in the mirror.

"What?" Blackquill asked shortly, still bent over in preparation.

"Two months before graduating Themis, we had a lecture on Witness Calling." She eyed the prosecutor with a smirk. "Guess you didn't pay attention when you were in school, huh?" she added mockingly.

"Gh…ghaaaaagh!" Blackquill cried as he suddenly reeled back, his eyes wide in shock, his mouth hanging open as his feather fell out and his arms shooting out in front of him as one of his swords sliced him before he leaned forward, breathing heavily as he clutched his chest. "You are only setting yourself up for failure, Wright-dono!"

"Hmph. We'll see about that," she replied, hands still on her hips. "Sora! I choose you!"

A few moments later, Sora was standing in Gumshoe's place at the witness stand.

"Did...you need something Aurora?" Sora asked, confused as he scratched his cheek.

 _Yeah. Stop making yourself look like an easy target!_ She thought, glancing at Blackquill. "First, just for the record, can you state your name and occupation?" _Please just say student. Please just say student. We can't afford to mess with the world order right now._

"Okay, well my name's Sora Utada and I'm...a traveler, I guess you could say." Sora grinned as he put his hands behind his head. "Shay over there is our pilot." Of course, Sora felt extremely proud of himself for remembering the cover story Shaylee gave him and 'Lance'.

"Okay, Sora. I need you to testify about Ms. James's alibi," Aurora said, relieved he kept to the cover story.

"Sure! Okay, so Shay, Lance and I arrived in town yesterday."

" _Hold it_. What time did you guys arrive? Do you remember?" Aurora asked.

"Um, there wasn't a clock anywhere before we saw Apollo, but I think it was around...4 pm? Yeah." Sora nodded.

"We ran into Apollo over there and he took us to your agency." He continued.

Aurora thought this statement over, but decided not to press anything.

"Once we got there, you mistook Lance for his brother and pounced him." Sora continued.

Shaylee face palmed as Sora recounted _that_ detail.

" _OBJECTION!_ I-I did _not_ pounce him!" Aurora cried, her cheeks blood red.

"You kinda did. But it's okay, since you thought Lance was his twin brother."

Aurora wanted to strangle the boy. _I should have called 'Lance' to the stand!_ She thought, not looking at anyone in the room. She could, however, feel Shaylee's glare, as if the Guardian knew what she was thinking. She wasn't sure which evil was worse at that moment: Sora's account or the possibility of 'Lance' being exposed as Riku of another dimension.

"J-just… continue, Sora," Aurora muttered.

"Then once Shay explained why we were in town, you and her headed out on a walk."

Aurora decided not to press this one.

"Then you came back with dinner and we spent the night talking and playing games. That was it." Sora finished with a grin. "How'd I do?"

" _Hold it!_ You did great," Aurora said, before muttering "for the most part." She cleared her throat. "Just one last question. Once me and my client got back from our walk, did she leave at all before we went to bed?"

"No, I don't think so. Though Shay was acting a bit off. Just like she does when she's trying to keep something from me, D-uh, I mean and Lance, heh." Sora answered.

 _Shut up! Shut up! That doesn't help our case at all!_ Aurora thought in panic, not even noticing the slip up.

Shaylee, however, did and glared icily at Sora, causing the boy to look down like a scolded child.

"Hm… this seems like a solid alibi," The judge said with a nod. "Any objections, Prosecutor Blackquill?"

"Hmph. It sounds like rubbish to me," Blackquill said, studying Sora. He could tell it'd be all too easy to rile the boy up. "Tell me, Sky Boy, what did the mysterious Pixie and Wright-dono discuss on their walk?"

" _Objection!"_ Aurora yelled before Sora could answer. "What I discussed with my client has nothing to do with this case."

" _SILENCE!_ " Blackquill cut in as Taka flew at Aurora, clawing at her as she barely avoided them. Phoenix leaned away slightly, watching in sympathy. Blackquill turned to Sora. "Answer the question, Sky Boy."

"Uh, I'm not sure. I'm guessing they caught up since the last time they saw each other was...two years ago?" Sora answered, trying to remember how long Aurora said she had gone without seeing Shaylee.

"And would these discussions include talking about where the three of you have traveled?" Blackquill asked.

"Yeah, I guess so. Aurora told all of us about her life, so it's only fair." Sora shrugged with a grin. Aurora could only hope this wouldn't bring up questions of where she disappeared to. They had only recently stopped just before graduation.

"And after this discussion, Wright-dono and the Pixie returned with dinner, right Sky Boy?" Blackquill continued.

"That's right!" Sora nodded.

"And you claim that our mysterious little Pixie was acting how she does when she is hiding something from you?" Blackquill said.

"Yeah. It was really weird cause she shouldn't have to hide stuff from us. She's gotten better about that over the years…" Sora muttered at the end, his eyes meeting Shaylee's. Meanwhile, Aurora was attempting to project her thoughts of ' _SHUT UP'_ at the spiky-haired boy.

"Has Pixie ever gone off on her own when she's acted like this?" Blackquill asked. "To protect you and Lance, of course."

"Yeah...she's done that a couple times before. But she always comes back." Sora answered.

Shaylee slapped her forehead so loudly, the entire court heard the noise.

Aurora knew where the man was going with this. "Prosecutor Blackquill, if you're implying my client felt the victim was a danger for-"

" _SILENCE!_ "

Aurora slammed her hands down on the table. "NO!" she yelled back, tired of being cut off. "This was the first time these three had ever been in Los Angeles. There is no way my client could have felt the victim was a threat to her or her friends!"

"Thank you, Wright-dono, for my final piece of evidence." Blackquill smirked.

Aurora sweatdropped. "What do you mean?" she asked, fighting to keep her voice steady.

"Pixie met Wright-dono two years ago, outside of Los Angeles. According to Sky Boy, who has traveled with her for some time, when she wants to protect someone, she acts a certain way. The limits to which she would go are unknown, though she always comes back, like a boomerang. Along with this," As Blackquill spoke, he took out a piece of paper and slammed his hand onto his bench. "I have all the evidence I need. Your Baldness! Read this note!"

Taka took the note and flew over to land on the judge's head where he dropped the note.

"Oh, uh, yes, of course." The judge stumbled over his words, never going to be used to Taka landing on his head, before he read the note.

" _If you value your life, come to the Ren Sance Art Gallery tonight at 8 pm. Do not tell your friends or if you do not show up, you and your friends will be killed._ "

"Why...why this is...a blackmail note!" The judge cried in shock. Everyone in the gallery began to murmur, 'Lance' glared at Blackquill while Sora stared in shock, and Shaylee looked away, her hands clutching her Wayfinder tightly, mumbling under her breath about how she'd do anything to protect her boys.

Aurora reeled back in shock, before looking over at Shaylee. _Why didn't she say anything about that note? What's going on here?_ She turned back to the Prosecutor, trying to find an argument - _any_ argument.

"I… She still has an ali-" Aurora began.

" _SILENCE!_ " Blackquill slammed his hand on his bench. "Our mysterious little Pixie is obviously protective of Sky Boy and his partner up there. Ergo, at the risk of their lives, Pixie would be willing to do anything to keep them safe. Including, murder." Blackquill suddenly started laughing and pounding on the bench. "It's almost admirable, how far Pixie would go to protect her boys."

" _Objection!"_ Aurora yelled. She had to turn this case around. Which means she had to stop his psychological manipulation. "That's enough, Prosecutor Blackquill. My client didn't kill Mr. Ardo!"

" _SILENCE!_ Do you have proof, Wright-dono?" Blackquill demanded, taking the position of preparing to throw a sword, the threat clear. Aurora really wished she had her shield wristband at the moment. "Evidence is everything, isn't that correct, Wright-dono Sr.?"

"Unfortunately, he's right, Aurora. Empty statements like that will get you thrown out of court. Do we have any evidence?" Phoenix asked, looking at his cousin. Aurora chewed her lip, quickly looking through the Court Record. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"Your honor, is that note typed or handwritten?" she asked.

"Handwritten." The judge answered. "Oh!"

"Exactly." She planted her hands on her hips and looked at the Prosecutor. "I call for a handwriting analysis. If it's the victim's, well, if falls in with your theory. But!" She leaned forward, slamming her hands down on the bench. "If it is not the victim's, that means there is another person included in this case, who most likely drew my client to that gallery to frame her!" The gallery burst into muttering at her words, and it took a moment for the judge to regain order.

Nobody noticed the small, secretive smile that the defendant and prosecutor shared, excluding a certain psychologist and two boys.

"Well, Prosecutor Blackquill? Did you already have the test done?" the Judge asked, used to the man being quite thorough.

"Unfortunately, my interrogation of the defendant lasted longer than expected. There was no time for a proper analysis from Officer Skye." Blackquill reported as he turned away, his eyes on Shaylee over his shoulder.

 _Yes! Go Shaylee!_ Aurora silently cheered. She has heard horror stories of defendants breaking when interrogated by Blackquill. She was happy Shaylee wasn't one of them.

"Well, then, the court orders this piece of evidence to be further investigated!" The Judge said. He then looked at Blackquill. "I see you have another witness prepared?"

"Very astute, Your Baldness. I expect nothing less." Blackquill smirked over his shoulder before he turned around and slammed his hand on the bench. "I call Mr. Mike Angelo to the stand!"

A slightly muscular man walked up to the witness stand, his shoulder and back straight. It was the posture of someone who knew they were innocent. His light blonde hair curled around his face, a few locks falling into his light blue eyes. He wore a white jacket over a light blue collared shirt, and black slacks.

"Name and occupation." Blackquill requested, putting his feather back in his mouth as Taka flew from the judge's head to the prosecutor's shoulder..

"Mike Angelo. Painter and owner of the Buon Rotti Gallery. It's a little smaller than Mr. Ardo's, but…" the man sighed sadly.

"St. Angel. Give us your testimony regarding the discovery of the body." Blackquill ordered.

"Yes," the man said with a nod, apparently not questioning the nickname.

"I had been to Leo's a little earlier, but left around seven that night."

" _Hold it!_ " Aurora called. "What were you doing there?

"We were discussing a collaboration. We were going to show our pieces together. He knew my gallery wasn't doing as well as his, and he wanted to help me with the cost, but I refused," Angelo explained.

"Right. So you left at seven. Go on," Aurora said, glancing at the autopsy report again. That was an entire hour before the time of death.

"As I was leaving, I saw a young girl entering the gallery, but I thought nothing of it at the time."

" _Hold it!_ This young girl. What did she look like?"

"Well, I only saw her from behind, but… she looked exactly like the defendant," Angelo said, pointing to where Shaylee sat.

"And you thought nothing of her going in, after hours?" Aurora asked.

"Well, no. Leo said he had an art college student coming in to interview him. That's not too unique. There's always a few of them each semester. He's a local celebrity, after all."

"That's true," Phoenix said with a nod, causing Aurora to shoot him a weird look, before suddenly realizing something.

" _Objection!"_ Aurora yelled.

"What? What did I say wrong?" Angelo asked, genuinely surprised. Aurora pulled out Shaylee's profile.

"It says right here, Mr. Angelo, that my client is sixteen. She wouldn't be old enough to be a college student."

" _Objection!_ " Blackquill cut in. "Are you saying, Wright-dono, that age is not just a number? You are only 17, after all." He reached up and pet Taka as he did so.

"I… well…" Aurora stammered.

"He has a point," Phoenix said.

"Whose side are you on!?" Aurora hissed at him. Phoenix simply grinned at her.

"May I continue?" Angelo asked.

"Get back to your testimony, St. Angel." Blackquill ordered.

"Well, the next morning, I realized I had forgotten my jacket at the gallery, so I returned."

" _Hold it!_ What time was that?" Aurora asked.

"Let's see… I guess it was around 7:45. I called the police, and they arrived around eight," Angelo said. Aurora frowned slightly.

 _That matches up. Dang it._ She thought.

"By then… it was too late. Leo was gone," Angelo finished sadly, hanging his head. Aurora could tell his heart was very pure, with only a small amount of darkness in it. He was genuinely sad for the passing of his friend.

But, she had to find something in this testimony that could help her case.

"Mr. Angelo, is there _anything_ that can confirm your story? Specifically the college student who was entering as you were leaving?"

"I… well. There's the security footage," Angelo mused.

"And why has this footage not been presented yet?" The judge questioned, surprised. Aurora was wondering the same thing. She turned to look at the prosecutor.

"I was waiting for St. Angel and Wright-dono to finish their spiel, Your Baldness." Blackquill explained, his eyes closed before they suddenly shot open. "Here is the security footage St. Angel has mentioned." The prosecutor held up a tape.

The Bailiff came over, taking the tape, and walked over to a television set that was being rolled in, putting it in the player and pressing start.

The video showed the gallery, Angelo and Ardo speaking inside. Unfortunately, there was no sound to accompany it. The two continued talking before Angelo made his way out of the gallery.

Suddenly, a girl entered the screen, though only the back of her head was shown. Her hair, it seemed, was dark brown and she seemed to be holding something. She walked over to Ardo, who smiled at her and reached out to shake her right hand. The two sat down just as the video cut out.

After a bit of static, the video came back on, showing Ardo's body lying in the gallery while the same girl ran out, her face still not seen.

Aurora's eyes widened at the implication of the video, and she couldn't help but glance at Shaylee. That's when she realized two very important things.

"Wait! Why'd the video jump like that?" the Judge asked before Aurora could speak.

"St. Angel." Blackquill stated, hunched over in a threat.

Angelo fiddled with a button on his jacket nervously. "W-well, Leo's cameras reset every night, around that time. It's an automatic thing. Usually, no one is in the gallery, so it's not really that big a deal. Well, until now, it seems…" Blackquill straightened in satisfaction, reaching up to pet Taka.

"Well, either way, it seems the defendant was in the gallery by herself with the victim both before and after it reset. Unless, of course, the defense wishes to object to this footage?" The Judge asked.

"Yes, I do!" Aurora said without a moment's hesitation.

"How unsurprising. Continue, Wright-dono." Blackquill allowed, strangely accommodating, in a certain psychologist's eyes.

"He's hiding something," Phoenix said. Aurora ignored him.

"There's actually two things wrong, both of which I'm surprised to didn't catch, Prosecutor. Can we rewind the video to when the supposed defendant walks in?" she asked. The bailiff nods, doing so and pausing it.

"The first contradiction I spot it the most obvious. Despite the similar appearance, the girl in this video is wearing _different clothes_ then what my client was found wearing," Aurora announced, motioning first to the television screen, then to Shaylee.

Shaylee wore dark black jeans, a black tank top, a dark purple flannel shirt that was open, dark black leather boots, a pendant with a heart on the end of it, orange, green and blue ribbons tied around her left forearm, a silver Mark of Mastery clipped to her pants near her hip and a silver bracelet around her left wrist and, the previous day, she had on a black fingerless glove with armor on it on her right hand.

The girl in the video, however, appeared to be wearing blue jeans, a pale blue jacket, a choker of some kind, brown boots and many colorful bracelets on her wrists. Her hair was half pulled back and there appeared to be some...color of some kind in it.

The judge gasped at that. "You're right, Miss. Wright! And the second contradiction?"

"Look at what she's carrying. It's a portfolio case, used to carry around large sketchbooks. But _nothing_ like that was found at or around the crime scene!" Aurora said. She turned to look at Blackquill.

"Is that all?" Blackquill questioned, his eyes closed.

"What do you mean, 'is that all'?" Aurora demanded. "These are clear contradictions. I bet you, nor your officers, found an extra change of clothes, either. Either these are two different people, or you're investigation skills are slipping."

The sword slashed out at her in a flash. Aurora, realizing a second later what she said, lurched back before it could come near her, knowing it was coming.

"Your Baldness! I want to extend the trial in order to investigate our mysterious Pixie's doppelganger." Blackquill demanded. "This should satisfy Wright-dono, yes?" The threat in his voice was clear.

"So, um… you didn't find the clothes or the case?" the Judge asked the prosecutor.

Taka suddenly landed on the judge's head. The threat was clear.

 _I am SO sick of that stupid bird…_ Aurora thought with a scowl, muttering under her breath. Phoenix looked at her in confusion, before suddenly, Taka let out a cry and took off from the Judge's head, landing on Blackquill's shoulder once more.

"Huh. It seems the room is starting to get a little drafty," the judge muttered. He then shrugged. "Unfortunately, I see no reason to continue today's trial. The defense and prosecution will look more into this matter. This… doppelganger, as the prosecution called it. We will reconvene tomorrow." With that, he slammed his gavel down.

…

* * *

Back in the Defendant's Lobby, Aurora sagged in relief against Phoenix. "Was your first trial such an emotional rollercoaster?" she bemoaned.

"Where I was the defense? Or the defendant?" Phoenix joked, only for her to punch him in the shoulder. "Um, ow."

"Why couldn't I be facing a Payne like everyone else in the agency!" she cried, slumping against him again.

"What're you talking about?" Sora asked as he and 'Lance' suddenly popped into the room. Aurora jumped slightly, before looking at them.

"A family of really cocky, but not that great, Prosecutors. Everyone in the Wright Anything Agency faced them their first time around. I've faced one or the other a few times, myself," Phoenix said with a shrug.

"So you broke the tradition?" Sora asked.

"Sky Boy, shut up." 'Lance' shook his head as he nudged Sora in the shoulder. Aurora giggled at that.

"Don't call me that!" Sora cried. "Anyway, thanks for saving Shay, Aurora! We should be able to find a way home any day now!"

That sobered Aurora up. She sighed, standing up straight. "I wish it were that simple," she said softly. "Today was only the first trial day. I managed to prolong it, by the skin of my teeth, but… it's still an uphill battle from here," she explained.

"So...Shay's still in danger of being found guilty." 'Lance' summed up as his and Sora's faces fell.

"Yes. Unfortunately. But I'm not going to rest until I prove her innocence. Right now, I need to prove, without a doubt, that the girl in the video is not Shaylee. I know she's not, but I need to make the Judge and Blackquill know that too. I also have to hope that the handwriting analysis on that note comes back that it _wasn't_ the victim who wrote that."

"How much time do we have?" Shaylee suddenly asked, as if she knew there was a catch in all this stuff Aurora had to do. Her voice was soft, yet it startled everyone but 'Lance', who had all forgotten she walked out with them. Yet, despite her words, she did not seem that worried at all.

"Two more days," Aurora said. "Unless, of course, you fake being sick, then-"

"Aurora," Phoenix said sharply.

"But then that's not the honest thing to do," Aurora said, cringing slightly at her cousin's tone. Phoenix shook his head at how much like his daughter Aurora was becoming.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and Athena once again led the charge of Maya, Pearl, Apollo and Trucy into the lobby.

"There you are!" Trucy grinned brightly.

"When did you...guys get...so fast?" Apollo panted as he hunched over.

"What happened?" Shaylee asked, with a tired sigh that told of experience.

"I'm guessing they gave them the slip," Aurora giggled.

"Yeah! Do you realize how hard it is to find two people in this courtroom?!" Athena demanded.

"Um, not that hard," Phoenix muttered, before looking at Athena. "You got lost, didn't you?"

"Yes, Ms. Athena led the way." Pearl nodded. "Mr. Apollo said they'd be here but she didn't know where to go. Mystic Maya remembered the lobby's location though and found it!"

"So, all in favor of never letting Athena lead again?" Maya said cheerfully.

Everyone, including Shaylee, Sora and 'Lance', raised their hands.

"Huh?" Athena cried shocked before she started to cry, Widget turning blue. "Do...do you really hate my directions that much?"

"Athena. You have no sense of direction." Apollo stated as he finally caught his breath.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?!" Athena cried, her eyes slits as Widget turned an angry red.

"That you're like a broken compass," Aurora said brightly. She loved jumping in on the banter between those two.

"WHAT?!" Athena cried, whirling on the young attorney.

"I just call them as I see them," Aurora said innocently with a shrug. "You got lost in a place you've been hundreds of times, while Sora and 'Lance' found their way their first time."

"Why you little-" Athena started before Pearl, Trucy and Apollo grabbed her and held the orange haired attorney back. Aurora started laughing.

"Oh, kids. What are you gonna do about them, huh?" Maya said, leaning against Phoenix, her engagement ring flashing in the light.

"Ground all of them?" Phoenix asked, knowing more of them were 'his.'

"And what? Keep them all in the office or your tiny apartment? It'd be even worse," Maya laughed. "Besides, then we'd _never_ get alone time," she added coyly.

"Me and you could always go back to the village," Phoenix reminded her. Maya grinned at that.

Pearl, forgetting to hold Athena back, squealed at the flirting between Phoenix and Maya, her hands jumping to cover her cheeks.

Which allowed Athena to break free of the other two and tackle Aurora.

"Whoa!"

"Pearl!" Apollo cried as he fell to the floor, Trucy beside him. "Why'd you let go?"

"They're _special someones_!" Pearl squealed, swaying back and forth.

Trucy smirked. "You mean like you and Sean?" she asked innocently, talking about Pearl's boyfriend.

"Oooh, Pearl's got a boyfriend! Pearl's got a boyfriend!" Sora began to sing, his eyes on Shaylee, who was holding back laughs of her own.

Aurora, who had just pushed Athena off of her, looked over at Sora with a weird look.

Sora kept singing, Trucy and Athena joining in as Pearl blushed harder, causing Maya to join and tease her cousin as well. Finally, Shaylee burst out laughing, a large smile on her face as she wiped tears from her eyes, her tattoo and Wayfinder catching the light reflected off said tears of joy.

Phoenix, who had been shaking his head at his fiancee, noticed the tattoo once more. He opened his mouth to ask, but stopped when seeing Gumshoe appear in the doorway. He decided to ask her later.

"Alright, pal, time to go back to the Detention Center." Gumshoe said, his voice containing some regret as he apologetically put the cuffs back on the complying Shaylee's wrists. The Guardian said nothing, simply smiling at Gumshoe in reassurance.

"I'll see all of you later, okay?" Shaylee called back as the detective led her away. "Until then, I guess I'm gonna be Pixie." She chuckled again before she and Gumshoe left the lobby.

"Yeah…" Aurora sighed, the weight of the trial settling once more on her shoulders.

"Don't worry." 'Lance' suddenly spoke up, his eyes on the doors Shaylee had walked through. "Shay's the toughest person I know, tougher than even me or Roxas in _any_ universe."

Aurora simply nodded, before taking a deep breath, turning to him, Phoenix, and Sora. "Let's get to work."

…

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Emerald:** Okay, so… for it being me who's having too much fun writing Blackquill, you sure as heck wrote most of him, hehe.

 **Wolfie:** Hey, he's fun to write, besides I gotta write him eventually, might as well prepare, eh? And he's such an interesting character to get inside the head of.

 **Emerald:** Very true. And since it was him and Aurora going at it most of the time… Well, hopefully we manage to update again faster then this time, guys!

 **Wolfie:** It all just depends on our lives, sadly. But we'll spend as much time as we can to at least write some stuff up, it sure gets interesting after this chapter.

 **Emerald:** I hate being an adult. But yeah, yeah it does! I hope you guys enjoy this one, and look forward to the next! Until then!

 **Wolfie:** See you next time! May your heart be your guiding key!


	4. Chapter 4: Investigation Day 2

**A/N:**

 **Emerald:** Hey guys! Guess who's back! You know, I didn't even notice until later that we posted the last chapter the same day as the new KH3 world reveal. Kind of like an indirect honor for it, I guess?

 **Wolfie:** I didn't even realize that! Good eye, Emerald!

 **Emerald:** Heh, thanks. So who's excited for Toy Story AND a 2018 release!?

 **Wolfie:** I've been freaking out about all this since the announcement, something you've done as well! After 5 years, there's finally a release year at the very least! Now we just need to pass the time!

 **Emerald:** I really wish I had recorded myself watching it for the first time… But as for passing the time, that's what we've got fanfiction for! So I didn't have any reviews on my side this time. What about you?

 **Wolfie:** I've got one, my version's first at that!

 **Review Reply:**

Review Reply to ShadowWolf223.

 **Wolfie:** Ah, so you've finally found this story, eh? You're one of my biggest KH/LotH vets so I'm glad you're here, even if you don't understand everything!

 **Emerald:** *whispers* Come to the dark side and read _Turnabout Hearts_ …

 **Wolfie:** No selfish promoting in ANs! Anyway, I LOVE that you called Blackquill hawk guy! Maybe that should be someone's payback…

 **Emerald:** Whoops. So… could it be Sky Boy's? (Aurora is totally going to call him that from now on, by the way)

 **Wolfie:** That sounds perfectly in character to me! And I hope you enjoy the rest, Shadow, just PM me and I'll explain some finer details about the AA half, heh.

 **Emerald:** So… onward?

 **Wolfie:** Can I really do it? *bounces on heels*

 **Emerald:** Yes. Yes you can.

 **Wolfie:** ONWARD! *points like Phoenix Wright*

…

* * *

Chapter Four - Day 2: Investigation

On Phoenix's suggestion, he, Aurora, Sora, and 'Lance' decided to go talk to Shaylee at the Detention Center.

Once Shaylee entered, she smiled at them, looking much better than she had the previous day. Aurora smiled back, sitting in the folding chair on their side of the glass. "Sorry about the close call today," she said apologetically, with a small chuckle.

"I knew you'd get out. I knew everything would be okay." Shaylee smiled slightly before she took out the Book of Destiny, flipped to a page and showed the words to the group, distracting Aurora from the question she really wanted to ask.

" _Trust in those who protect the law of this world. Those who will be at your trial will, no matter what, protect you in order to find the truth. Not all allies dress as one but their hearts are true."_

Phoenix studied the words with a small frown, his lawyer mind going to work. "That sounds like it could include _anyone_. Including the Blackquill who, as we know, is trying to prove you guilty."

"Interesting, isn't it?" Shaylee with a small secretive smile as she snapped the book closed and met Aurora's confused eyes head on, her own gaze allowing for no questions. If they wanted to figure out the verse, they'd have to do it on their own. Aurora frowned slightly at that, before sighing.

"You're making this very hard, you know that?" she asked.

"Destiny must run a certain course in order to be fulfilled. If any knowledge of it is explained, then all will be lost. I can show the verses, but I cannot explain it to any. I can only show riddles as hints if you wish to discover what I mean." Shaylee shrugged.

"She does this all the time. Ignore it." 'Lance' cut in before Aurora could debate with the Guardian. The Seer shook her head, but did as he said.

"Well, moving on then, do you remember anything yet? From the night of the murder?" Aurora asked, getting straight to business.

"I remember sneaking out of your room and going to the gallery but once I see it...everything just goes dark...I'm sorry." Shaylee sighed as she shook her head.

Aurora sighed again, but shook her head with a small smile. "It's alright. We'll figure this out, I'm sure," she said. "I guess you haven't been questioned again by Blackquill today, huh?"

"Not yet, I assume he's in the middle of investigating right now before he and I talk about everything." Shaylee shrugged casually, as if an interrogation by _Simon Blackquill_ wasn't a big deal. Aurora and Phoenix stared at her, their jaws dropped. "Did I say something weird?" The Guardian questioned innocently, cocking her head to the side. Phoenix was the first to recover, shaking his head with a bemused smile.

"I guess you wouldn't know he was a death row convict at one time. _And_ it seems you're immune to his psychological manipulation," he said with a shrug, not noticing Shaylee's small, secretive smile. Aurora grinned, glancing over at Sora.

"Unlike Sky Boy, over here. I think I should have called 'Lance' to the stand instead," she said with a giggle.

"Look, I tried my best, alright?! All I want is to get Haylee out of here!" Sora yelled angrily as he glared at Aurora.

Aurora reeled back from the boy in shock as a vision flashed before her eyes: _a small town at sunset, equal parts light and shadow_. She instantly knew _who_ that response was from.

Before anyone could say anything, Shaylee was on her feet and slammed her right hand on the table in front of her.

"Roxas! Don't let your anger influence you _or_ Sora! You need to stay focused, just like on your missions, otherwise I won't be leaving here anytime soon!" She shouted, her appearance resembling a scolding mother.

Aurora lowered her head slightly. "Look, I'm sorry for the teasing, Roxas. I was just trying to make light of the situation."

" _Roxas…_ " Shaylee's tone held a hint of warning. Roxas bowed his, well Sora's, head and took several calming breaths.

"It's fine." He muttered before he fell back and Sora lifted his head once again, smiling apologetically.

Phoenix stared at him for a moment. "So… he has multiple personality disorder?" He turned to his cousin. "Does _your_ Sora have multiple personalities?" he added, realizing how calmly she had reacted.

"Every version of Sora should, depending on the universe." Shaylee mumbled to herself as she rubbed her left hand over her right. Aurora nodded in agreement, also confirming that yes, _her_ Sora had the same… 'disorder.'

"Wait, how do you know Roxas?" 'Lance' asked, crossing his arms in confusion.

"Yeah. You weren't confused or anything when he started yelling at you." Sora added, folding his hands behind his head.

"Roxas… is a good friend of mine. He helped me out when I really needed it. Besides, you know when you guys went to The World That Never Was and fought Xemnas? I was there, and I helped. In… this universe's version, at least," she explained. Phoenix only looked more confused.

Suddenly, Shaylee turned to look at a clock that was behind her.

"You guys should probably get going. Mr. Blackquill should be back soon." She said.

"That's correct, it's time for the defendant to be questioned." The standing police officer reported with a salute. Aurora sighed, but nodded.

"Of course. I think we should go to the gallery next. See if we can't find anything else." She looked at Shaylee. "You'll be okay, right?" she asked.

"I'll be fine." Shaylee smiled. "Besides, they're still with me." As she spoke, the Guardian held her Wayfinder in her hand and stared down at it with a true smile before she turned and followed the officer out. "Good luck!" She called back.

"We'll see you soon, Shay!" Sora called cheerfully.

"Stay safe." 'Lance' added.

"Thanks. Good luck to you, too!" Aurora called back, before standing and looking at the others. "Ready?"

"Yes," Phoenix nodded.

"Right." 'Lance' agreed.

"Let's go!" Sora cheered.

…

* * *

When the group got to the gallery, they found the police presence had shrunk from the full investigation team that was there yesterday to a lone, sleepy looking officer standing guard of the scene today. Aurora smiled at that.

"We should be able look much more closely this time," Aurora said brightly. "Right, Nick?"

"Right," he said with a smile, holding the police tape up for her and the boys to duck under.

…

* * *

"So, where do we start today?" Sora asked as he looked around the gallery, not seeing anything new.

"Anything that looks out of place or wrong. We should also look for any kind of forensic evidence, and-" Phoenix began, only to see Aurora frowning slightly at him. "What?"

"You're acting like the head of defense," she pointed out.

"Sorry, habit," he muttered. Aurora shook her head at him and shrugged.

"But yeah, everything he said is true. Just… try not to touch too much. Last thing we need is them finding your fingerprints and charging you next." She turned to look at 'Lance.' "Especially you, since… well, your fingerprints are kind of already in the system…"

"Right…" 'Lance' sighed. The four spread out to start their search. Aurora decided to start her investigation at the white outline that showed Ardo's position when he'd been found, while Phoenix looked around at the art stuff in one of the corners.

"Say, Phoenix, what are these smudges over here?" 'Lance' asked over near the table where he stood with Sora. Most of the faint smudges were on the two mugs that still sat there, as well as the surface of the table itself.

"Hm?" Phoenix asked, before coming over. One of his kinked eyebrows rose. "Those look like fingerprints."

"Does this mean we get to do something?" Sora asked excitedly as he bounced on his heels. 'Lance' could tell he was trying to hide his worry and fear for his teacher/mother figure.

Phoenix eyed the bouncing boy for a moment, before smiling slightly. "Yes, it does." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of white powder. "This is fingerprinting powder. With it, we will be able to see the prints clearer, so we can see whose they are," he explained. "Would you like to try it, Sora?"

"You bet!" Sora grinned, taking the powder and a pair of rubber gloves from Phoenix, though 'Lance' made sure he was nearby to keep Sora from making a mess with him trying to hide his feelings.

Once he was sure Sora had the gloves on, Phoenix pointed to one of the smudges on the table. "Let's start with this one. Just sprinkle a little powder onto it. Not too much, but enough to cover the print," he instructed.

"Gotcha!" Sora grinned before he and 'Lance' began to gently sprinkle the powder on the table. Phoenix watched carefully to make sure they didn't use the whole bottle.

"Now what?" 'Lance' questioned as they finished sprinkling.

"Now you're going to blow away the extra powder, and the print should show up," Phoenix said.

Carefully, the two boys blew away the powder and gasped as they saw a clear fingerprint on the table in front of them.

"Whoa…" 'Lance' whispered.

"That's cool." Sora added, his voice one of awe.

"Just like magic, right?" Phoenix said with a grin, pulling out a folded up piece of paper. He unfolded it to show names and examples of fingerprints, including Sora's. "Now we just match the print." He lowered the paper so both boys could look at it. They moved to either side of him and looked at the paper for a moment, before 'Lance' pointed at Leo Ardo's print on the paper.

"It's his. The victim's, right?" he asked. Phoenix nodded.

"Yeah, but that's not too strange. This is his table, after all. I don't think we should check _every_ print on the table. But the mugs…" he looked back at those.

"On it!" Sora said brightly, him and 'Lance' getting to work on the mugs. Phoenix shook his head at the two boys as he watched them, letting 'Lance' take the paper to match the prints up.

After about ten minutes, they were finished.

"Most of them are either Ardo's or Mr. Angelo's," 'Lance' said. "Which makes sense, since Mr. Angelo said he was here, right?" he asked.

"Right. But you said most?" Phoenix asked.

"Well, there's one on this mug that's no on the paper," 'Lance' said, pointing to the mug in question.

"I think it's Mr. Ardo's," Sora said brightly. "Other then that one, it's mostly his prints on it."

"Good deductive skills," Phoenix said sarcastically, while 'Lance' rolled his eyes at his friend. "Are you sure this print isn't on that paper though?" he asked. 'Lance' silently handed the paper back to the man, letting him check for himself. After a moment, Phoenix nodded.

"Alright. We should make a note of this, and let Aurora know," he said.

"Hey, Nick?" the young attorney suddenly called from across the room. He turned to see her standing at a control panel, studying the switches. Phoenix walked over, the boys on his heels.

"Yeah?" the man asked.

"The Ventilation System is switched off, even though a sticky-note next to this panel says 'DO NOT TURN OFF VENTILATION'," she explained. Phoenix's eyes widened slightly, and he quickly looked over her shoulder, seeing that she was right. He quickly glanced around, only to notice that one of the windows was thrown wide open.

"Stay here. I'll be right back," he said, quickly walking out to talk to the officer on guard duty.

"What was that about?" 'Lance' asked. Aurora shrugged.

"No clue," she admitted.

A few minutes later, Phoenix returned.

"The Ventilation has apparently been off for since the night of the murder, according to the officer. Gumshoe's the one who opened that window,," Phoenix explained. He frowned slightly, cupping his chin with one hand, the other on his hip. "It's strange. This is very suspicious, but… I can't remember why," he muttered, more to himself then to the three looking up at him.

"Well, I'll make a note of it, and let you figure it out," Aurora said with a small smile.

"Oh! We also found fingerprints at the table!" Sora said brightly.

"Really? Anything useful?" Aurora asked hopefully.

"Maybe," 'Lance' said. "They were mostly Ardo's and Angelo's. But there was one that wasn't on Phoenix's paper," he said. "We found that near the rim of Ardo's mug."

"Ooo! That's great! It might be the proof we need to show that there was a third person here!" Aurora said excitedly, making a note of that as well. Meanwhile, Phoenix was looking around thoughtfully.

"Huh…" he muttered, walking back to the art stuff in the corner he'd been looking at earlier. He stopped in front of a few containers and knelt down. Most of them were paint, with a few being open. There was one, however, that was a clear liquid, and it was knocked over, spilled on the floor. He leaned closer to look at the label on the bottle, and caught a large whiff of it.

"Whoa…" he muttered as his head spun, swaying slightly.

"Phoenix?" Aurora asked, quickly coming over.

"I'm alright," he said, shaking his head. Putting his sleeve over his mouth and nose, he carefully leaned forward again, turning the spilled container so that they could see the label.

"'Turpentine'," Aurora read.

"This is a lot of Turpentine. Even professional painters don't normally need this much," Phoenix said.

"What's it used for?" Aurora asked.

"Quite a few things, but painters usually only use it for cleaning oil based paints from brushes and as a varnish. But why is it stored with his paints? If any of it had gotten on them, it'd destroy them," he muttered.

"Plus inhaling it seems to make you dizzy," Aurora pointed out. Phoenix nodded, standing. "I should make a note of this, shouldn't I?" she asked.

"Yeah," Phoenix nodded, looking between the spilled chemical and the control panel.

"Say," Sora began curiously, "how do you know so much about this kind of stuff?"

"I studied art in college," Phoenix explained with a small smile. "Actually got my degree in it, along with my law degree."

"Hmph. That couldn't have been easy," 'Lance' said with a shake of his head.

"No, but…" Phoenix trailed off with a shrug, not having an explanation for why he dual majored. Unlike Athena's second degree, his wasn't useful in his career.

"Well… I think we have everything we need here…" Aurora said as she finished marking down the Turpentine. "Where to next?" she mused.

"Uh…" A soft, familiar voice suddenly spoke up, startling the group of four. As they looked up, however, they froze.

" _Sh-Shay?!_ " Sora shouted, his jaw falling open in absolute shock.

Aurora's mind went into overdrive. _Wh-what!? What is she doing here!? She should be in the detention center! I didn't think Shay would break out, she seemed to believe I could do this and if she broke out well I can't defend her from that charge because here's the evidence that would destroy that defense and-_

"That can't be Shay." 'Lance' interrupted Aurora's panicked mindset and Sora, who was trying to speak with no success. "Shay doesn't have paint in her hair or wearing those clothes."

Sure enough, the girl, despite resembling the Guardian, was obviously not the same.

Her dark brown hair was half pulled back, strands of hair falling in her periwinkle blue eyes. She wore a pale blue cardigan over a light gray shirt that had colorful paint splotches on it, whether it was real paint or not was hard to tell, blue jeans, brown boots and multiple bracelets on her wrists, each a different color of the rainbow and even colors that weren't in the rainbow. Around her neck was a black beaded choker and on her left middle and pointer fingers she wore a silver ring on each. Her left cardigan sleeve was rolled up to her wrist, showing her hand, while the right sleeve was completely unrolled, hiding her right hand from view. On her left hand was remains of paint and paint stained her hair. Tucked behind her left ear was a paintbrush and in her arms was a thick file while a bag full of art supplies rested on her shoulder, the bag itself bumping against her hip as she shifted on her feet. Her face was very near identical to Shaylee's.

"Who...who are you?" The girl asked with her soft voice.

"Um, well, I'm Aurora Wright, Attorney at Law," Aurora stammered, still shocked. "This is my cousin, Phoenix Wright, and my friends, Sora Utada and Ri-'Lance'! 'Lance Hikaru'," Aurora mentally cursed herself for the slip-up. But she was still panicking slightly. "We're investigating the death of Leo Ardo. Um… who are you?"

"Oh, uh, my name is Patty...Patty Tain, sorry." The girl, Patty, introduced herself, fingering her file. "I'm...a student at Ivy University."

Aurora smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you. But, um… what are you doing here? At a crime scene?"

"I, uh, came to see Mr. Ardo. I...I wanted to interview him...for a project, I mean." Patty answered, avoiding eye contact, her hair falling over her shoulder.

For Phoenix, the world suddenly went dark, until it was just him and Patty. Chains surrounded the girl, and two big, red locks slammed into place.

At the same instant, a chilly breeze swept over Aurora, and goosebumps sprung up along her arms. Both cousins groaned slightly.

"What is it?" Sora asked as 'Lance' and Patty stared in confusion at the cousins, though Patty continued to avoid eye contact and seemed to be hiding within herself.

Aurora moved closer to the boys, speaking quietly so that Patty wouldn't overhear. "You know my ability to sense light and darkness in a person's heart?" she asked. The boys nodded. "Well, this past year, I've been training. Fine tuning those abilities so that I can sense when someone is hiding something. Most people usually put up a wall of darkness around their hearts when they're trying to keep a secret. I sense it in the form of a cold breeze. Unfortunately, it gives me goosebumps," she finished, scowling at her forearms as she rubbed them, trying to dispel the bumps. Phoenix grinned slightly.

"Athena's taken to calling it 'Goosebumps' for that reason," he added unhelpfully. Aurora rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Patty.

"I just have one question. Were you here, the night of the murder?" she asked.

Patty seemed to freeze for a second, her eyes darting from Aurora to Phoenix and back again.

"N-n-no!" She cried, gripping her file tightly. "I-I-I was n-never here, I-I s-s-s-swear! Y-you have t-to b-b-believe me!" Her eyes were wide, panicked and very, very scared.

Aurora sighed as another wave of goosebumps erupted along her forearms. She dug through the court record until she found what she was looking for.

"Patty, this is the Security Footage from that night. I'm sure I don't have to show you, but you're on this video," she said, holding up the tape.

"W-what's t-t-that?" Patty questioned, curiosity sparking in her eyes even as the fear seemed to almost overwhelm her. Her entire body was trembling, as if she was standing in a snowstorm with no coat.

Aurora nodded, trying not to let guilt overwhelm her at the girl's reaction. "And I know it's you… because you're carrying the same case now as you were in this video," she said, pointing to the girl's bag.

Tears formed in Patty's eyes as she bowed her head before she met Aurora's eyes, her hands dropping her file before clutching her heart, her knuckles white.

Suddenly, the paint in her bag exploded, covering her, the floor and even hitting some of the four in front of her. She covered her ears as she shook her head furiously, shaking the paintbrush out from behind her ear, causing her hair to fall around her like a curtain. She then looked up and met Aurora's eyes once again, the look in her own eyes faraway as tears fell down her cheeks, washing the paint off her face.

Aurora was frozen, not even reacting when she was splattered with paint. Guilt threatened to overwhelm her at the girl's reaction. "P-Patty?" she called hesitantly. "I-I wasn't accusing you. I promise I wasn't. I just need to know what you saw that night. That's all. I'm trying to save an innocent person from going to jail, AND catch the real killer. All I want is your help. That's all," she blabbered on, trying to get the girl to stop giving her that far-away look.

"I-I...I promise, I didn't kill Mr. Ardo! He was my hero, I could never do something like that! A-all that happened was I found the body, I swear!" Patty suddenly cried out.

"WHAT!?" the four others cried in shock. Phoenix was the first to recover, as he covered his eyes with a hand and sighed.

"You know what? I've had witnesses do worse," he muttered to himself.

Aurora recovered next, and smiled encouragingly at the girl. "I believe you," she said with as much sincerity as she could muster. "But please, you need to tell me _exactly_ what you saw. Any little detail will help. Can you help us?"

"Oh...okay." Patty nodded, taking a few cloths out of her bag to clean up herself and the others before straightening up and passing them out. "That night...I came here to interview Mr. Ardo. He...h-he finally agreed to an interview and I-I was so excited...it was perfect for my assignment. Anyway...as I was leaving I r-realized I forgot my portfolio and...and went back for it. When I went back...I s-saw someone in the gallery with Mr. Ardo. I...I didn't k-know what was h-happening b-but...when I had a clear view...Mr. Ardo...h-he...he was...dead…" As she finished speaking, Patty began to cry softly.

Aurora moved closer to the girl, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I know this is hard for you," she said in a gentle voice, "but I need you to think back. Who was in the gallery with Mr. Ardo?" she asked.

"I...I don't know...It was a man. He was really familiar, I _knew_ him but I couldn't figure out how I knew him." Patty explained as she finished cleaning her face and threw the paint stained cloth back in her bag, which she then threw back over her shoulder while replacing the paintbrush behind her ear, retying her hair back, and picking her portfolio up. "I'm sorry I can't be more help." As she spoke, she reached up and played with the bristles of the paintbrush, surprisingly using her right hand. Her movement caused the sleeve to fall down a little, showing a slice of light blue on the back of her hand.

Aurora shook her head, taking a step back and dropping her arm. "It's alright. You helped more than you realize, considering you saw a man, and my client is a young girl," she said. Phoenix, on the other hand, was staring at Patty's right hand.

"Patty," he began slowly. "What's that on your hand?"

"What?" Patty said, surprised, before she looked down at her covered right hand. "Uh...just a silly birthmark is all." She rubbed the back of it with her fingers.

"Right… it wouldn't happen to be in the shape of a heart… would it?" Phoenix asked, cupping his chin thoughtfully. Aurora glanced at him in confusion.

"Um, no it isn't." Patty shook her head, unsure of why the attorney was asking in the first place.

"Oh, okay. I was just curious," Phoenix said with a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Anyways, Patty, I might have to call you as a witness in court tomorrow. Do you think you can do it?" Aurora asked, yanking this conversation back on track.

"I...don't know if I'll be of any help, but…" Patty straightened up, adjusted the portfolio in her arms and looked determinedly at the group in front of her, fire in her eyes. "I'll do my best, for Mr. Ardo."

Aurora grinned. "That's all I can ask for," she replied.

"You know, you kinda look like Shay does before we-uh, I mean, she protects us." Sora spoke up, his voice thoughtful.

"Shay?" Patty questioned, confused.

"He means Shaylee." 'Lance' explained. "She's the defendant in this case and our friend. You really look a lot like her."

Patty looked down bashfully before she looked up with a soft, though unsure, smile.

"I'll take that as a compliment." She whispered.

"You should," Aurora said with a warm smile.

"I suppose I should leave you all to your investigation." Patty smiled, her voice taking on a wistful tone. "Good luck. I'll see you tomorrow...I guess." At the end, her tone became unsure again.

"You will. Even if I don't call you to the stand, you can come see us in Defendant's Lobby Three before and after the trial," Aurora said with a smile. "And thanks."

"You're welcome." Patty smiled a small smile before she turned and walked away. However, at the gallery's door, she stopped and whispered to the door. "I hope...nothing else goes wrong." Almost reverently, she rested her right hand on the door before she quickly walked out, her gait resembling that of someone who didn't like to speak in front of people.

The group watched her leave, before Phoenix shook his head and looked over at Aurora. "Well, is there anywhere else you'd like to check before we wrap up the investigation for the day?" he asked. Aurora frowned slightly, before shaking her head.

"I can't think of anywhere else," she sighed.

"Well, you're probably tired. You've been pushing yourself all day, and I know you didn't sleep last night," Phoenix said.

"I did, too!" Aurora argued.

"I heard you pacing all night."

"Oh."

"So...back to your office?" Sora suggested, trying to break the awkwardness.

"Yeah. We should eat anyway. I know Aurora hasn't had anything to eat today... " Phoenix cast an eye thoughtfully over the boys. "And I doubt you two did either," he finished.

"And how would you know?" 'Lance' questioned, raising an eyebrow in curiosity while Sora stared at Phoenix in shock, believing he had hidden his nonexistent appetite quite well.

"One, my kitchen didn't look raided by teenagers this morning. Two, worry has a funny way of killing an appetite," Phoenix replied, before wrapping his arms around all three of them and ushering them out the door. "Come on. You three need to eat if you're going to help Shaylee," he said, only too used to the feeling of raising a bunch of teenagers, despite only have one actual child himself. Aurora simply shook her head with a shrug.

"There's no arguing with a lawyer," she said to the boys.

"Fine." 'Lance' nodded.

"Oh, alright!" Sora sighed, disappointed his smile hadn't work like he thought it would before he brightened up again. "Maybe Athena and Apollo will be there!"

"You are not to bug them if they're busy with their own case," Phoenix said sternly.

"You're no fun." Sora pouted before 'Lance' nudged him and the two began to fool around. Aurora giggled as she watched.

…

* * *

Fortunately, Apollo and Athena were just finishing up some paperwork when the four returned. Phoenix gave Trucy his wallet and sent her to Eldoon's Noodles.

"How's the case going?" Apollo asked, his tone joking as he noticed the look on Aurora's face.

"Wonderful," Aurora said in a false chipper voice, before flopping tiredly down on the couch. 'Lance' sat down right beside her with a sigh.

"Could've been worse." He shrugged as he ran a hand through his hair with another sigh.

Aurora groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Don't jinx it!" she complained, her voice muffled by her palms.

"Don't worry!" Sora's voice cut in, sounding much more believable than Aurora's at being cheerful as he folded his hands behind his head. "We'll save Shay, just like how Shay always manages to save us! Besides, with everything she's taught the two of us, nothing can go too wrong!"

Phoenix, Apollo, and Aurora winced at those words. Meanwhile, Athena was watching Sora like he had four heads, rubbing one of her ears.

"What's going on, Athena?" Apollo asked quietly, noticing the look she was giving the boy.

"I don't know how to explain it, but… it's like I'm hearing the voices of _four different hearts_. All from the same person," she explained softly, so that only he could hear.

Apollo opened his mouth to scream in shock only for Athena to angrily smother his mouth.

"Do you _want_ them to hear you?" She hissed angrily, her eyes white slits and Widget a firetruck red. Apollo tried to answer, but couldn't and began to try to pry Athena's hands off his mouth.

The only one who noticed their antics was Phoenix, who cast a questioning glance in their direction.

Meanwhile, Aurora was having a mental debate with herself from where she sat next to 'Lance'. _I'm tired. And Riku's right here. But… it's NOT Riku. Er, MY Riku… but he's exactly the same… If I lean against him… is that cheating on Riku? But-! UGH!_ She abruptly jumped to her feet and walked over to her desk in the corner, opening her laptop.

"Something wrong, Aurora?" 'Lance' asked, confused by her sudden movement, which had practically wrestled him from sleep. Sora was doing no better, having slouched in a chair as soon as he finished talking.

"Hm? Oh! No," Aurora stammered with the faintest of blushes. "I'm just… trying to keep myself awake, before-" she suddenly cut off, her eyes falling on Sora. She stood once more. "I just remembered, I have to go check on something. I won't be long. Start eating without me!" she called, darting out.

Phoenix, who was about to call her back, never even got to call out.

…

* * *

Aurora got to the Detention Center five minutes before the end of visiting hours. She only got in to see Shaylee because she pleaded with the officer, explaining it was important for the case.

Her leg bounced impatiently while she waited for the girl to appear on the other side of the glass.

Shaylee walked in just as the thought crossed her mind, the standing officer telling her the exact orders Aurora herself had just been given.

"Is there something you needed, Aurora?" Shaylee asked, getting straight to the point. Time was always something she made the most of.

Aurora leaned forward slightly. "Last time we met, you told me about Ventus. I just… wanted to know. Have you found him yet?" she asked. "His presence is a lot stronger in your Sora then he is mine…"

"That's...probably my fault." Shaylee admitted, looking away with a slight pink tint to her cheeks as she held her Wayfinder tightly. Within a second, however, she was back to business as she looked at Aurora. "But that's not what you wanted to know, is it? You want to ask me about the presences you sense in both my Sora and yours, right?" Aurora smiled guiltily.

"Yes. I mean, I know Roxas. I've met him, and he helped me a lot. But… we didn't really have much time to talk about Ven the last time, and… there's another presence. A fourth heart within Sora, that's a mirror of Roxas's. It's familiar, but..." Aurora shook her head. "I just can't think of who that would be…"

"Right...so that was the same here as well, hm?" Shaylee muttered to herself before she turned to Aurora. "You remember everything I've told you about Ven from the last time, correct?"

"That he was someone special to you, and that his heart was… shattered?" Aurora tried to think back. "And that he was the one Xemnas had me looking for, but I couldn't let him find him. Which he never did. I made sure of it."

"Good." Shaylee smiled before her face turned serious. "After Ven's heart was shattered the second time, he returned to Sora, who had healed his heart originally. From there, Ven's heart fell asleep within Sora's, in order to heal from all the damage it had taken while his body slept in the former Land of Departure, now known as Castle Oblivion. That land was...our home, Ven, Terra, Aqua and I. Anyway, at the end of Sora's first adventure, he gave up his heart and that created Roxas, his Nobody, and Namine, Kairi's Nobody. Roxas joined the Organization while Namine waited in Castle Oblivion, where they eventually found her."

Aurora nodded, knowing all about Roxas and Namine, having met and befriended them both.

"However, as Roxas was a zombie for a week, the Organization was...concerned he wouldn't be able to do his job." Shaylee explained, her voice taking on a bitter tone. "So, they used the Replica Program to create someone who, after they used Namine, would be able to do Roxas' job if he couldn't or even do it better than him. They named her Xion, meaning her real name was No. I and they were mocking her over the fact that she never existed in the first place."

Aurora jerked slightly at the name, before putting a hand to her head, her face a mask of confusion.

"Xion…" she repeated. "It's so… familiar." She closed her eyes, her hand moving from her head to her heart. "But I can't place it."

"That's due to actions committed by Riku, Namine and DiZ. I was supposed to help them in my universe but I refused." Shaylee explained, her anger clear. "After Sora, Donald and Goofy traveled through Castle Oblivion, along with the guardian angel who decided to join them, they all fell asleep so their memories could be fixed. The memories of Kairi, however, went to Roxas and, through Roxas, into Xion. Through Roxas, Sora began to give Xion her own personality and face, he connected to a heart that was so new and shouldn't have existed and yet against all logic, it did. However, once Namine figured out what was going on, DiZ ordered for Xion to be destroyed and for Roxas to either be killed or forced to return to Sora."

Aurora's hands clenched into fists at the thought of the man in red. "So… he ordered the deaths of Namine _and_ Xion?" she snarled. She held no love for that man.

"He didn't think either would return to Sora willingly and, even if Xion did, she would've been destroyed anyway." Shaylee explained. "Xion was willing though, once she discovered who she truly was and what the Organization wanted with her. However, before she could return to Sora, she was kidnapped and forced to return where Saix and Xemnas... _modified_ her so she would fight Roxas. In their minds, whoever came out the winner would work for them and become the 13th darkness. Roxas won and Xion was erased from everyone's memory but my own. Xion _wanted_ Roxas to win, she wanted him to do what must be done, what she _couldn't_ do if she won, because they would've just controlled her like any other machine." Shaylee was practically shaking in anger for the Organization and DiZ. "Roxas then regained the ability to wield two Keyblades and he fought Riku at the World That Never Was, thinking he stood in the way to destroying Kingdom Hearts, destroying Xemnas and getting her back. By that point...Riku and Roxas were the last ones to remember her. Roxas was the last to forget, he only forgot once Riku defeated him. And then...he was put into that program that forced him back to Sora, someone he never even got the chance to talk to. And the reason Roxas looks so different is because Sora regained his heart and body thanks to Kairi and so Roxas took Ven's appearance and held his heart. That's why Roxas was a zombie at first though, because Sora was still living and, for a week, it interfered. But even before Sora went to Castle Oblivion, Roxas was growing his own heart, he was becoming his own person." Shaylee wiped tears away as she finished. "That's why you Saw three hearts within Sora. Ventus, Roxas and Xion, the most personal hurting that Sora must save in _every_ universe. Because of what happened, however, only Roxas as he is now and I can remember Xion."

As Shaylee spoke, fragments of memory of a girl, who looked a lot like Namine to Aurora, drifted just below the surface of her conscious. But she was too focused on the girl's words to think about those. "I was there, in that virtual Twilight Town, when Roxas recombined with Sora," she admitted softly. "Namine told me he wouldn't disappear. But until I met Sora again, I really thought he had." Her shoulders slumped. "And I _knew_ it. I knew Nobodies had to have hearts, or else I wouldn't have been able to sense them. But… wait." she looked up at the girl. "What do you mean, 'the most personal hurting that Sora must save'?" she asked.

"Ah, that." Shaylee nodded. "Well, there are seven people hurting that Sora must save, because he's the only one who can. Axel, Roxas, Xion, Namine, Terra, Aqua and Ven. However, right now he's largely unaware of it. But he will do it. Actually, it was through learning that that I confronted my own trials and...was declared ready. But I can't tell you for what." As she said the last sentence, Shaylee smirked and winked at the Seer, who pouted in disappointment.

"Of course you can't," Aurora sighed. _But… the chance to see Roxas and Namine again… and even Axel…_ Aurora smiled at the thought.

"The time for your Sora, as much as mine, is coming to confront this trial." Shaylee explained. "I want you to promise that you will be there for him, no matter how painful it might be. Your Sora will need you on his side, just as my Sora needs me."

"You don't hear a sentence like that everyday," Aurora said, making a weak attempt at a joke.

"Aurora." Shaylee's voice contained a warning, similar to a mother warning a child. She needed to hear this promise. The Seer looked up at her, completely serious.

"Of _course_ I'll be there for Sora. I might not be as close to him as I am Riku, but he's still one of my closest friends. I promise you, I'll be by his side when he needs me to be," she said, her hand forming a fist over her heart.

"Thank you." Shaylee smiled before she began to chuckle. "You know, sometimes I can't help but wonder if that girl in the video and the one I met aren't the alternate versions of us, but we are the alternate versions of each other."

Aurora tipped her head to the side thoughtfully. "Patty _does_ look a lot like you. We actually met her today, and… well, me and Sora thought you broke out of jail." She chuckled, remembering her panicky thoughts. "And what, do you think you met someone like me in your universe?" she asked curiously.

"Yep. Found her in Traverse Town where she was a pickpocket." Shaylee chuckled at the memory. She got caught by Yuffie though and once I sensed her magical potential, she was left in Merlin's care."

Aurora snorted. "A pickpocket?" she then shrugged. "Then again, Patty's an art student, so I guess the alternate versions of us have to be different," she reasoned, though she still couldn't imagine any version of herself being a law-breaker.

Just then, a guard entered the room. "I hope you got what you needed, Attorney Wright. Visiting hours are over," he said.

"Really? That felt shorter than five minutes." Shaylee shrugged before she stood up and sent Aurora a small smile. "I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Alright. Hang in there. Hopefully we won't need that third day," she said, standing as well. "Try to have a good night."

"You too." The Guardian nodded before she left the room.

…

* * *

Once Shaylee was returned to the holding cell, she sat down on the cot and allowed herself to cry.

She knew everything would be alright, she knew the truth would be found, but hearing the doubts on the prosecutor's lips, hearing the judge's doubts...it was like hearing her own self loathing thoughts spoken aloud.

Suddenly, warmth surrounded her and she looked up to see Ven's spirit smiling at her before Terra and Aqua appeared by his side. She smiled up at them, they were the best sight she could see at that moment.

She grasped her Wayfinder tightly in her hands before she whispered under her breath the vow she had spoken just a short time ago.

"This won't be the end for me. This hurt will not end me. I can face it and I will. I won't give up, no matter what."

She held the Wayfinder close to her heart, her tattoo catching the light before she cried a little longer.

As the Guardian cried, the Book of Destiny shined a brief minute and within its pages was a new message that she already knew.

" _Never give up as long as there's light. Hope lies in the light, all you must do is find it. Friends and allies surround you and will help you but only you can move forward, confront your destiny and help yourself. You are ready."_

…

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Emerald:** Here's the end of another chapter! Lots of stuff going on here, and lots of hints for Shaylee's future stories that lead up to this!

 **Wolfie:** Well it's kinda hard to avoid them and they're just too fun to sprinkle in, especially since they're allusions to your universe as well.

 **Emerald:** Very true. Like the angel… hehe.

 **Wolfie:** You know they might've missed that one.

 **Emerald:** Probably. Ah well. Once I finish Distance and start my next KH series, they'll understand.

 **Wolfie:** I just gotta get to HB for them to understand! That's gonna be a while though. Oh well, anyways, thanks for reading guys!

 **Emerald:** Hey! Hey Wolfie! Can I do it this time? PLEEEEEAAAAASE!?

 **Wolfie:** Of course!

 **Emerald:** Okay! *clears throat* May your heart be your guiding key!


	5. Chapter 5:Trial Day Two

**A/N:**

 **Wolfie:** Hello everyone, we're back once again! This time with another high speed trial chapter, right Emerald?

 **Emerald:** Right! I love these chapters, even if we don't see much of Sora and "Lance"...

 **Wolfie:** True, but, according to a reliable source, these chapters feel exactly like watching an actual game so I think it's a fair trade!

 **Emerald:** Who's the source? The one watching us write last time?

 **Wolfie:**...how'd you know? Lol!

 **Emerald:** Erm… you told me… Oh! Not to confuse our readers, we're using Google Docs to write these. So we're not even in the same room, or probably even the same state.

 **Wolfie:** I can confirm we are not, but writing them in Google Docs is the funnest thing, especially all the comments we put on the side, and writing these notes together!

 **Emerald** : You guys miss out on a lot of our commentary to each other. Just saying. So, have you gotten any reviews this time, Wolfie?

 **Wolfie:** Nope. You?

 **Emerald:** Nope! Alrighty then! Do you want to say it, or shall I?

 **Wolfie:** ONWARD!

* * *

…

Chapter Five - Day 2: Trial

The morning of the trial found Aurora sitting on the couch in Defendant's Lobby 3, doing what she did best. Studying. In this case, it was the Court Record.

"Gee, Rora, you're gonna fry your brain out or put a hole in that thing." Sora commented as he leaned against the wall. 'Lance' hit him upside the head.

"Where'd that nickname come from anyway?" 'Lance' asked, having never heard it used before.

"Hey, she calls me Sky Boy so I'm calling her Rora!" Sora defended. Phoenix laughed at the two.

"Yeah, but where Sky Boy is teasing, Rora is actually kind of endearing," he pointed out, before crossing his arms, glancing over at his cousin. "But this is a good thing: once Aurora gets in the mindset of studying, not much can snap her out of it," he explained.

Just then, Shaylee walked in, smiling even as Gumshoe removed her handcuffs.

"Shay!" Sora grinned as he and 'Lance' ran, or in 'Lance's' case walked, over to hug her tightly, her smile brightening even more as they did so.

As Sora hugged her, Aurora sensed one of the hearts in the boy, the one of full light, connect with Shaylee's. The two twilight hearts did so right after. Her head snapped up, and she looked in their direction, _really_ confusing Phoenix. Aurora closed the Record and put it away, before standing and walking over to Shaylee with a confident grin.

"Hey, Shay," she said.

"Morning, Aurora." Shaylee greeted as Sora and 'Lance' released her, though they stood close by.

"Don't worry, I promise to fight my hardest today. I'm actually pretty confident about the trial," Aurora said brightly.

"I believe in you, I always will." Shaylee nodded before Sora and 'Lance' were suddenly dragged out by an unseen Pearl and Trucy and the remaining three headed into court.

* * *

...

"Court will now resume for the trial of Shaylee James. Is the prosecution ready?" the judge asked.

"Of course, Your Baldness." Blackquill stated, his back to court as always.

The judge nodded, before looking towards the other side of the room. "Is the defense ready?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Aurora said, her back straight, her hands on her hips.

"Good. Prosecutor, would you like to bring us up to speed?" the Judge began, looking down at the darkly dressed man.

"Oh, but Your Baldness, you have done it so much better than I ever could. Why don't you do it, just once more?" Blackquill smirked as he turned to the court, much to the Wrights' exasperation. The others in the gallery only just barely kept a certain spiky haired boy from making a scene at that.

Aurora's confidence disappeared in a single facepalm. Seeing this, Shaylee reached out her heart, allowing her light to shine in Aurora's softly. Feeling it, Aurora smiled in her direction, before focusing on what the Judge was saying.

"Oh!" the Judge said, his voice full of delight. "Well, now, if you insist." He cleared his throat. "Yesterday, the defense pointed out two very large contradictions as to why the girl in the video couldn't be the defendant. Has either the defense or the prosecution found anything to resolve these contradictions?" he asked.

"The defense has, Your Honor," Aurora quickly said before Blackquill could even open his mouth. "We've found evidence that points to a third party at the crime scene," she announced. Phoenix coughed slightly, catching her attention.

" _Patty's_ the third party," he reminded her quietly.

"Um, fourth party, then!" Aurora corrected herself, with a slight blush.

"Hmph. You're even more ridiculous than Wright-dono Sr, Wright-dono." Blackquill mocked before he sent a sword flying at her. "What's next? A fifth party? Or a sixth? You cannot change the number of parties on a whim without the consequences!"

Aurora jerked back from the slice of air, her eyes slightly wide, while Phoenix (and Apollo) shuddered slightly from a sense of deja vou at the man's words. She then frowned at him.

"I'm telling the truth, Mr. Blackquill. And, I have a witness to prove it!"

"Oh! It's rare for the defense to call one witness, let alone _two_ in one trial," the Judge said, blinking rapidly. "Well, who's this witness of yours?" he asked. Aurora glanced over to where Patty sat.

"I call Patty Tain to the stand," she said.

Patty made her way to the stand, nervously playing with her portfolio, though her eyes were determined.

Shaylee gasped as she saw the girl who was her in this universe for the very first time, and grasped her Wayfinder in her right hand, her tattoo catching the light.

Aurora smiled gently at the girl. "Name and occupation, for the record, please?"

"My name is Patty Tain and...I'm an art student at Ivy University." Patty answered, her voice soft and nervous, yet growing steadier. Aurora nodded to her with a smile, before looking back at the judge and Blackquill.

"Miss. Tain was the girl we saw in the security footage yesterday, not my client. She was the third party I mentioned earlier."

"So...this woman is the killer?!" The judge cried, eyes wide.

"No!" Aurora said quickly. "No. But she is a very important witness, who saw the _fourth_ party," Aurora added a little more calmly.

"Oh." The judge shook his head. "Prosecutor Blackquill is right though. This is a little more complicated than the usual stuff your cousin brings into my courtroom," he said.

 _You have no idea…_ Aurora thought, while Phoenix slumped over, his forehead suddenly shiny with sweat.

"Well, Miss. Tain. Why don't you tell us what you saw that night," the Judge said.

"Okay…" Patty nodded softly, reaching up to brush her hair over her right shoulder, her birthmark showing for a moment.

"That night, I went to the gallery to interview Mr. Ardo for a school assignment," she began.

" _Hold it!"_ Aurora called. "Around what time was that?" she asked.

"It was...a bit before 7 pm...I think." Patty answered, looking down in thought.

Aurora nodded. "And did you see anyone leaving as you entered the gallery?" Aurora asked.

"...a man with blonde hair...I think…" Patty stated, playing with her hair as she did so.

"That would have been St. Ang- I mean Mr. Angelo," the Judge gasped, catching himself.

"May I continue...please?" Patty asked, adding the please on quickly. Aurora smiled and nodded.

"After we finished the interview, we went our separate ways."

" _Hold it!_ Mr. Ardo stayed in the gallery?" Aurora asked.

"Yes. He said he was meeting an old friend...I think." Patty said, thinking for a moment before she nodded resolutely. "Yes, I'm positive that's what he said."

"And did you see this old friend enter as you were leaving?" Aurora asked.

"No. I went out the front door, which Mr. Ardo unlocked for me. I guess his friend came in through the back." Patty shrugged. Aurora nodded for her to continue.

"Outside the gallery, I realized I forgot my portfolio so I went back in."

Aurora nodded, not pressing this statement.

"When I arrived...Mr. Ardo...was talking to someone…"

" _Hold it!_ Did you see who?" Aurora asked.

"No...the gallery was dark, if I remember correctly. I could make out Mr. Ardo but not his friend." Patty shook her head. Aurora nodded thoughtfully, before thinking of something else.

"Did you hear what they were talking about? Or the tone of their voices?" she asked.

"They...they were yelling, angry at each other, but...I couldn't make out the words." Patty shook her head before she reached up and fixed the paintbrush that was tucked behind her ear. Aurora nodded, before motioning for her to continue.

"I...I waited until they were done but...Mr. Ardo collapsed and I-I...I saw a man as I ran out."

" _Hold it!"_ Aurora nearly jumped over the bench in surprise. It wasn't her who yelled this time, but Phoenix. He was leaning forward, a sudden air of urgency around him. "Miss. Tain, did you smell anything odd? Or start to feel dizzy when you returned to the gallery?"

Patty took the paintbrush from behind her ear out and tapped the bristles against her chin as she thought carefully.

"I...didn't feel dizzy, but it...smelled similar to how it smells when I'm painting for a long time and forget to open the door...if that makes any sense…" Patty explained. "When that happens...I have to get the air flowing as quickly as possible because, after all, that's when...oh!" Patty suddenly looked up, her eyes understanding. "That's what you think happened to Mr. Ardo! His cause of death wasn't-"

"Exactly," Phoenix said with a grin. Aurora just looked confused.

" _SILENCE!_ " Blackquill interrupted suddenly. He spit out his feather, his expression intensely serious. "Wright-dono Sr., explain what it is you and Little Da Vinci are discussing."

"Gladly," Phoenix said, standing up straight. "When Aurora and I were investigating the gallery yesterday, we found that the Ventilation system had been shut off since the night of the murder. Not only that, but many of the victim's paints were open, _and_ a large bottle of Turpentine was spilled on the floor. Without proper ventilation, the different chemicals can cause dizziness, unconsciousness, and ultimately asphyxiation."

Aurora took over then, realizing where Phoenix was going with this. "Mr. Ardo died of asphyxiation. So it might not have even been the poison, but the chemicals that killed him!"

"So the man I saw...he must be-" Patty gasped, her hands clenching around the paintbrush she held, causing her right sleeve to fall down slightly, revealing a bit of her pale blue birthmark.

Aurora slammed her hands down on the desk. "Your honor! I request a recess so that we can investigate this more," she said. The Judge looked thoughtful, before looking at Blackquill.

"Well, Prosecutor? And objections?" he asked.

"The prosecution has no objections." Blackquill stated, surprisingly calm and compliant.

"Alright, then. We'll have a thirty minute recess." The Judge slammed his gavel.

* * *

…

As soon as they entered the Defendant's Lobby, Aurora scurried over to a quiet corner, making a phone call.

"So if the cause of death is something I have no connection with, then they can't proclaim me guilty, correct?" Shaylee asked Phoenix calmly, as if she was close to his age instead of a sixteen year old.

Phoenix glanced at her in surprise at her composure, but explained anyways. "Right. The only connection you have to this case is the poison, and, of course, being there. _That's_ what Blackquill's case is riding on. But if we disprove it…" Phoenix trailed off.

"But it's not over until the criminal is caught." Shaylee frowned. "If I have to appear guilty until you can figure out how to get the real culprit here, I don't mind. I just want justice for Mr. Ardo, Patty, and Mr. Ardo's family, even though I _am_ on a time limit." She smiled slightly at the end, just as Sora and 'Lance' burst in. "Speak of the devil and they shall appear." She chuckled.

"Well, tomorrow's the last day, either way. I just hope it goes _our_ way…" Phoenix said.

"There's a way they can get Shay a guilty verdict if the real criminal isn't caught?" 'Lance' asked, surprised.

"There's not supposed to be a way, but..." Phoenix shrugged. "Here at the Wright Anything Agency, not only do we take the impossible cases, we solve them too," he said sardonically.

"Thanks, Mark. This means a lot to me," Aurora said as she walked over, before hitting the end button on her phone. She looked up at the group. "I have a friend in forensics who's looking into this for me," she told the group.

"Can he help us in time?" Sora asked, concerned.

"I think so," Aurora said with a smile. "He's one of the best, and the fastest M.E. I know."

"How long will this take?" 'Lance' asked, crossing his arms.

"Honestly… I think it'll take him longer to get here then it'll take for him to check something on the body. But… he's a fast driver, too."

"Can he be trusted to drive quickly in these streets?" Shaylee asked, worried about Mark's safety. At that, Aurora blushed slightly.

"For me? Yeah," she muttered. Phoenix snorted.

"I thought you _loved_ Riku!" Sora teased her, placing his hands on his hips as he grinned. Aurora turned even redder.

" _I_ do. I mean… Yes, I'm in a relationship with Riku. MY Riku," Aurora stammered. "But… Mark has been asking me out since I returned from traveling the worlds," she explained.

Just then, Mark entered with a file under his arm, looking around. He spotted Aurora and darted over, his cheeks flushed from running.

"Aurora! You were right!" he said brightly, presenting the file to her in such a ridiculously grand manner. Aurora chuckled weakly, taking it.

"Thanks, Mark," she muttered. "Guys, this is Mark Enders. Mark, this is, well, you know Phoenix. This is Shaylee, Sora, and," she moved closer to 'Lance,' "Lance. _Riku's_ twin brother."

'Lance' looked at Aurora for a second before he shared a look with Sora.

"Thank you for doing this so quickly, Mark. This could very well be the evidence that saves me." Shaylee smiled, distracting the M.E., who was staring at 'Lance,' seeming a little intimidated. He turned to look at her.

"Oh, um, you're welcome," he said, sounding a little disheartened. Aurora suddenly felt guilty, but Mark smiled at Shaylee all the same. "I really hope it is."

"I know it will." Shaylee nodded as she patted Mark on the arm, trying to cheer him up about his work at the very least. Mark smiled at her, it working. He glanced at his watch.

"Well, I guess your recess is just about over. Good luck in there, Aurora," he said with a warm smile, patting her shoulder. Aurora nodded, and Mark slipped out. Aurora then stepped away from the others, opening the file and reading it over.

"Well?" Sora and 'Lance' asked in unison. A slow grin grew across Aurora's face, and she snapped the file shut, adding it to her Court Record.

"Oh yeah. This'll help," she said. Just then, the bailiff called them back into the courtroom.

* * *

…

As court restarted, Patty was lead back to the Witness Stand.

"Court has resumed. Did the defense find what they needed to prove the possibility of a different cause of death?" the Judge asked. Aurora stood up straight with a nod, and opened her mouth.

" _SILENCE!_ " Blackquill cut in. "How can we even be sure Little Da Vinci is telling the truth, Your Baldness?"

The Judge blinked at him, his eyelids fluttering slightly in shock. "I, um… what?" he stammered. Aurora, on the other hand, scowled at the prosecutor.

"It is only fair to verify the witness' memory, wouldn't you say so...Your Honor?" Blackquill smirked as he tapped the side of his head. The Judge straightened up in his chair, not used to Blackquill calling him that.

"Well, yes, it is," he said.

"Then why didn't he do that _before_ the recess!?" Aurora hissed, her nails literally digging into the surface of the bench. Phoenix simply sighed. In the corner of his eye, he noticed the look Blackquill shared with Shaylee and the small smile on the Guardian's face before she looked at her alternate self at the witness stand.

"Well, Prosecutor Blackquill? What would you like to ask the defendant?" the Judge asked.

"Little Da Vinci is not the defendant, Your Baldness." Blackquill almost sounded exasperated. The Judge squinted slightly at the girl for a moment, before chuckling at himself.

"Right, sorry. They just look so much alike," he said. "The witness, then."

"Little Da Vinci, are you a competent art student?" Blackquill questioned.

"I...would like to think so." Patty confirmed with a nod.

"And do you use oil paints in your curriculum?" he continued.

"Occasionally, yes, we have." Patty stated, her tone not backing down.

"And yet, you did not recognize the smell of a chemical that is used often in that line of work. Turpentine, was it? You didn't mention the smell at all, until Wright-dono Sr. mentioned it," Blackquill said, his eyes dangerously narrow.

"I have not been exposed to turpentine as often as you would think, Mr. Blackquill, as I am still a freshman just starting out in Ivy University's art program. Mr. Wright, on the other hand, has far more experience with it then I do, which I feel explains everything quite well." Patty answered, her face completely serious with no trace of the shy girl Aurora remembered from the previous day.

"Hmph. I find it hard to believe a half-baked lawyer would have more experience with the tools of the artist's trade then an art apprentice, herself. No, I think there's a much more plausible explanation," he said with a smirk.

"Hey…" Phoenix muttered at the insult.

"And what i-is this explanation, Mr. Blackquill...if you don't mind me asking." Patty stumbled, her shyness returning. Aurora's nails bit a little deeper into the bench, this time from worry, more than frustration.

"His Baldness's mistake was not that far off the mark. You and the Pixie look very much alike," Blackquill said with a smirk, tapping his temple. "It wouldn't be _too_ uncommon for someone to commit perjury on the stand, just to protect a loved relative."

" _Objection!"_ Aurora yelled.

"What is it, Wright-dono?" Blackquill asked, his tone bored.

"Th-the witness and defendant are not related," she said, though only just realizing she couldn't exactly prove it without a DNA test. _And since they're probably each other, just from different universes… are their DNA identical!?_ She thought in mild panic.

"It's okay...I'll answer." Patty cut in. The court turned to the young artist in surprise as she held her head high, though uncertainty was in her eyes. "The defendant and I could possibly be related, I won't deny our physical similarities. But...I-I wouldn't lie, not even...even if my own parents were here in her place." Patty looked down and ran her left hand over the back of her right one. "The truth...is all I want from this case, I just want to know who...who k-killed one of my h-heroes and...and how they did it." She looked up then, a fire burning in her eyes. "I will stand by my testimony and I will stand by my memory of the events of that night. If you think I'm lying, then I challenge you to prove it, as long as it will help bring Mr. Ardo's killer to justice once and for all."

"Hmph." Blackquill looked away. "Unfortunately, I do not hold the evidence to prove such a thing," he admitted.

"Then perhaps it is time, Aurora?" Shaylee smiled from her seat, causing everyone to look at her.

"Defendant. I will have to ask you to stop performing my job," the Judge said in a tone that suggested he was pouting behind that beard of his.

"My apologies, Your Honor." Shaylee smiled as she bowed her head, placing her right hand over her heart as she did so in order to show her sincerity. Patty gasped quietly as she caught sight of Shaylee's hand, covering her own right hand as she did so. The Judge looked genuinely surprised.

"I-it's alright," he spluttered, before turning to Aurora. "Well, Miss. Wright?" he asked.

"Right." Aurora pulled out her file and slapped it down on the bench in front of her. "I present to the court… an updated autopsy report!" she announced. Horror crossed Phoenix's face as he stared at his cousin, reminded of his first case against a certain prosecutor.

"This feels...familiar…" The judge blinked rapidly and finally spoke after a long pause.

"Y-Your Honor, I don't think we need to visit memory lane right now," Phoenix said hurriedly, sweat pouring off of his face. Aurora looked between the two men before glancing at Blackquill, a questioning look on her face. Blackquill stared blankly back at the Seer, his expression unreadable.

 _Helpful._ Aurora thought with a frown. _Whatever, I'll look into it later._ She cleared her throat, bringing their attention back to the point at hand. "Once Mr. Wright brought up the possibility of the fumes killing the victim, I called Mark Enders, one of the M.E.s at the precinct, and asked him to take a second look at the body for me. According to this new report, the victim died of asphyxiation just after 8pm, and there is evidence that shows he was unconscious _before_ death," she announced, giving copies of the report to the bailiff to deliver to Blackquill and the Judge.

Blackquill looked over the file before he spit out the feather in his mouth and launched a sword at the defense, the fastest one yet. Aurora was expecting it this time, however, and bought her left arm up. Around her wrist was a black sleeve of cloth, reaching from the middle of her hand, to a few inches below her wrist. Around her wrist were two silver bands of metal. The slash struck the bands of metal with a dull _clang_ , but there was no visible damage on the 'bracelets.'

"Perhaps the original plan was to trap the victim inside the gallery where he would die without issues." Blackquill supplied. "However, it went wrong and instead of escaping, Pixie was knocked unconscious as well, which explains the concussion she had upon being found."

" _Objection!"_ Aurora yelled, pointing at the prosecution. "My client has no formal art training," she said, while thinking _I hope!_ "Therefor, the chances of knowing the toxicity of the chemicals is next to none."

" _SILENCE!_ " Blackquill shouted as he hit the bench in front of him. "If Wright-dono knows of it, then the little pixie could as well."

Aurora smirked, planting her hands on her hips. "There's a huge difference between him and the defendant," she said. She then looked over at her cousin. "Care to share?"

"Sure," Phoenix said, his stance very much like hers. "I _do_ have formal art training. I graduated with both my law _and_ an art degree," he announced. He then smiled at Patty. "From Ivy U, actually," he added.

"Gh...gaaah!" Blackquill reeled back in shock, his sword slicing him.

"That explains a lot," the Judge muttered, causing the older Wright to deflate.

Blackquill leaned on his bench, panting. "Then perhaps we should ask the pixie herself. Pixie! Take the stand!"

Shaylee calmly walked to the witness stand while Patty sat in the witness' chair. The two shared a look before Shaylee faced forward.

"Name and occupation, Pixie." Blackquill ordered, returning his feather to his mouth.

"Shaylee James. I'm a pilot and travel around the world." Shaylee stated, voice and stance confident.

"Is it true, what Wright-dono said? Do you have no formal training in art?" he demanded.

"In my travels, I have seen many different art styles and techniques, however, I never learned anything about art in my entire life. My attorney is correct." Shaylee nodded. "The only thing remotely similar to art I own is this necklace and it was made by a friend of mine many years ago." As she spoke, the Guardian held up her Wayfinder, eliminating the possible question about it. Aurora smiled at that, but Blackquill wasn't finished.

"And you still retain no memory of the night of the murder?" he asked.

Shaylee closed her eyes and looked down, thinking very carefully. The events of that night raced through her mind until…

"I'm sorry, Prosecutor Blackquill, but my memory simply stops once I enter the alley behind the Ren Sance Gallery. The last thing I remember is approaching a door. That is all." Shaylee answered as she opened her eyes.

"Being knocked upside the head would account for that," Aurora pointed out, remembering the story of when Phoenix got amnesia from a fire extinguisher induced concussion.

" _SILENCE!"_ Blackquill cut the Seer off. "I just find the convenience unnerving," he said, turning back to Shaylee. "I'd think someone as smart as our Pixie here wouldn't let a little knock on the head jumble her memory," he added, his tone coming across like honey. Aurora knew instantly what he was trying, and turned to look at Shaylee, hoping she wouldn't fall for it.

"Are you insinuating that my memory is not actually missing, Prosecutor?" Shaylee questioned, her face expertly blank. Suddenly, she appeared much older to everyone in the courtroom.

"Perhaps you're just not trying hard enough to recall the events of that night," Blackquill suggested. Aurora looked prepared to object.

"It's okay, Aurora...I'll answer his question." Shaylee waved off her attorney, her eyes on Blackquill only. "Prosecutor Blackquill, as you are aware, I was blackmailed into going to the gallery that night. However, you have insinuated that instead of being attacked, I am actually faking having lost my memory. My memory is one of the things I trust above all else and I would never tell a lie about my memory." The Guardian looked down briefly, playing with her Wayfinder. "Not all of my memories are pleasant, but they are _mine_ and that makes them important. So…" She looked up, meeting Blackquill's gaze head on, fire burning in her eyes. "I will stand by my testimony and my memories of that night. If you still believe I am lying, then I ask you to prove it so justice can be served to the true criminal in due haste."

The entire court was silent, staring at the Guardian in awe. Blackquill simply turned his head away.

"Well, now…" The Judge cleared his throat. "It seems we are at an impasse. Unless the Defense or Prosecution has any other new evidence or witnesses to bring to light?" he asked. Neither Blackquill, or Aurora, said anything. "Alright then. I guess we'll end today's trial here today." He began to raise his gavel, then hesitated, looking at Shaylee and Patty once more. "Are… you sure you two aren't related?" he asked.

"No, Your Honor." Shaylee chuckled. "I have no family in this city, you see. Though I guess this does prove doppelgangers exist, at least." Patty chuckled in response to the Guardian's words, though she felt there was more to the story then what Shaylee was saying.

The Judge chuckled as well. "Ah. Well then. Court is dismissed until tomorrow. The defense and prosecution should investigate more, and prepare for the last day." With that, he slammed his gavel down.

* * *

…

In the Defendant's Lobby, Aurora walked right over to Patty and began to thank her profusely.

"Oh, it's...nothing." Patty smiled. "I just...did what you asked, heh. And told the truth."

"Nothing? _Nothing!?_ You stood up to the Twisted Samurai, _and_ saved our case. If it wasn't for you, Shay would have been found guilty today," Aurora countered.

"I...actually think your updated autopsy report helped more than I ever could." Patty shook her head as she giggled a bit at Aurora's dramatics. She didn't even notice how her right sleeve slipped down and, for a brief minute, a pale blue star birthmark/tattoo was revealed on her hand.

"I never would have thought to do that if we hadn't had your testimony," Aurora argued.

Phoenix shook his head at the girls, before leaning slightly to Shaylee, who was standing next to him. "She's too modest for her own good," he muttered.

"They both are." Shaylee agreed. Neither realized they sounded like a pair of glanced over at her, before glancing at her hand.

"Hey, Shaylee? What's the mark on the back of your hand? The heart," Phoenix _finally_ asked.

"Oh, it's, uh…" Shaylee stumbled over her words.

Just then, the doors opened and Trucy and Sora practically charged into the lobby, Athena, Apollo, Maya, Pearl and 'Lance' right behind them.

"Daddy, you and Aurora did great!" Trucy grinned.

"You too, Shay! You kicked that weird guy's butt!" Sora added. "What's he called again, Rora?"

"A prosecutor, Sky Boy." Aurora smirked.

Phoenix gave a pained smiled to his daughter for interrupting Shaylee's answer, but didn't otherwise show his annoyance. "Thanks, sweetie," he said.

Just then, a certain Spirit Medium slid over to her fiance, wrapping her arms around one of his. "You looked horrified when Rora pulled out that one piece of evidence," she teased. Phoenix groaned, while Aurora looked over.

"What do you mean?" she asked, looking from Maya to Phoenix. Maya grinned wider.

"When you pulled out that updated autopsy report! It was like watching Nick's first case against Mr. Edgeworth all over again," Maya said with a grin.

"Wait, what?" Aurora asked, looking at her cousin. "Is that what the judge meant?"

"Yes," Phoenix sighed, before looking at Maya. "At least it wasn't you in the defendant's chair. _Again_."

"That was only three times, Nick! Four, counting Labyrinthia." Maya said.

"I try to forget that time in Labyrinthia," Phoenix replied in a dead-panned voice.

"Aww, look who can't bear to think of me falling into fire!" Maya teased.

" _What?!_ " Everyone in the lobby cried in unison, all in varying degrees of shock. Phoenix sighed.

"Long story short, we went to London, got kidnapped by a book, woke up in a town called Labyrinthia and were hypnotized into thinking we'd always lived there, and Maya was accused as a witch and sent into the flames, which didn't _actually_ kill anyone. With the help of a few friends we broke the 'spell'" - he used air quotes - "over the town and freed everyone from hypnotism," he quickly explained.

The lobby was dead silent until a certain voice spoke up.

"You've been in a book, too?!" Sora cried. "That's so cool!"

"Sora!" 'Lance' scolded while Aurora facepalmed. "Not the time."

"Don't bring up stuff like that in front of people when we're on a different world!" Shaylee added. She hit Sora over the head. "Damn it, you _know_ this!"

"Also, by kidnapped by a book, I just meant the ink inside knocked us out, and… we still don't know who moved us from that court house to Labyrinthia. Right?" Phoenix asked Maya, who nodded in agreement.

"Or how they managed to not get anybody to notice." Maya added.

"So, not like your adventures, Sora." 'Lance' translated to the boy.

"Aww." Sora pouted. "So nobody else has friends like Pooh, huh."

"Well, I never met Pooh, but I've met Tron," Aurora spoke up. "That was… interesting," she added.

"Anyway!" Shaylee cut in, glaring at Sora to not speak. "What do you need to do for tomorrow?"

"Right." Aurora got back to business. "At this point, to prove your innocence completely, we… probably need to find the real killer." She sighed. "Blackquill's not pulling any punches this time around…" she grumbled.

"You mean you need to find the guy Patty saw?"

"You mean you need to find the guy I saw?"

Shaylee and Patty spoke in perfect unison. They shared a look before they both began to giggle at the fact.

Startled for a moment, Aurora nodded.

"Yeah. It has to be. If I sat there was a fifth person there, well…" she put a hand to her throat gingerly. "I might lose my head to Blackquill tomorrow. Literally."

Sora was the only one who started to laugh, thinking she was joking.

Then he remembered his own experience as a witness and the laugher was abruptly cut off as he gulped.

Aurora looked around at everyone exchanging nervous glances, and grinned. "Come on, guys! Don't worry about me. I can handle Blackquill for one more day," she assured them, dropping her hand from her throat.

The "I hope…" was the unspoken, but agreed, ending to that sentence.

* * *

…

 **A/N:**

 **Wolfie:** And there it is! I bet you guys are tired of us comparing Shaylee and Patty by now, heh.

 **Emerald:** BUT THERE IS A REASON FOR IT THAT HAS… already kind of been discussed… hasn't it?

 **Wolfie:** I think the mentioning of Patty being Shaylee's alternate has been fairly addressed, ha ha!

 **Emerald:** As do I. Well, anything else to say here? Or have we covered it all?

 **Wolfie:** Just a fair warning everyone, we will both be busy for a while so an update may not come up as quickly as this one seemingly does. You wanna do the honors?

 **Emerald:** *Grumbling about being an adult* Huh? Oh, right! May your heart be your guiding key!


End file.
